The Shadow Game
by Ranko twin
Summary: Based off of L.J. Smith's Forbidden Game AU YAOI. Yuugi goes to by a game for Jounouchi's birthday party and a beautiful red eyed man sells him a game. When Yuugi and his friends play the game they are transported to the Shadow Realm where they meet the Shadow Men. Now they have to face their worst nightmares, play a game of life or death, and obsessive love. Will they survive? R
1. Chapter 1

**Ranko: Hey guys! I have always read stories with a long note in the beginning that had the author talking to the characters. It looked fun so I decided, "Hey, why not?" Also I am a nerd.**

**Yuugi: Stop putting yourself down.**

**Ranko: O.O**

**Yuugi: (cringes) What?**

**Ranko: (glomps Yuugi) You are so cute! I love you!**

**Yami: Hey! (pulls Yuugi into arms possessively) **

**Ranko: (begins tug-o-war with Yami) Back off, he's mine!**

**Yami: No! He's my aibou!**

**Yuugi: Actually! Neither of you own me! Ranko twin doesn't own me nor anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh! nor the Forbidden Games, both belong to their respected creators!**

**Ranko: (pouts) Your still cute. This was actually really fun, I might do it more often…if I'm not lazy. Enjoy!**

**Yami: (keeps Yuugi away from Ranko) Or not…**

**Ranko: Shut up! (grabs Yuugi and runs)**

-/-

Yuugi looked over his shoulder and then quickly whipped his head back around to look forward again.

They were still following him – the two new kids that just joined Ushio's gang. Before you were able to join Ushio's gang of merry men, you had to pass the initiation: stalk Yuugi Motou and then beat him up. Yuugi had known Ushio since elementary school and since then he took great pleasure in beating or picking on the smaller boy.

These two kids, only a little taller than Yuugi but much more muscular, were not doing a good job at stalking him though. He noticed after a while that they had been following him; when he slowed down to look at something, they would too, or if he stopped, so would they.

Yuugi looked ahead and sighed in relief when he saw that the movie store was just a few blocks ahead. But wait, if he crossed the street than the two boys would be able to catch up with him. Maybe they had decided that Yuugi wasn't worth their time and went home? Yeah, that was just as likely as hell freezing over. Yuugi slowed down slightly and the footsteps behind him slowed as well.

Damn it.

'Whatever you do, just don't look back,' Yuugi told himself. He had dealt with many other people like this and if he looked back he would just be acknowledging the bullies and encourage them. 'Great, I can turn right on this street up ahead and duck into a store until they leave. Yeah, do that Yuugi.'

Yuugi squared his slim shoulders back and tried to stand as tall as one could at a height of five foot. Yuugi caught his reflection in a store window and couldn't help but grimace. He understood why people picked on him all the time, it was because he radiated _innocence_, even his best friend picked on him at one time.

Who could blame them though?

With his wide amethyst eyes that sparkled like gems and were so childlike. His soft features and his small frame that made him look so fragile that if you hugged him too hard he might break. His height didn't help him either, many people had mistaken him for twelve years old when he was really sixteen going on seventeen.

But his most standout feature was his gravity defying hair that poked up like a star. His soft ebony hair was tipped with a purple that matched his eyes. He had spiky blond bangs that framed his cute face and a little bang that fell across his forehead cutely, no matter how many times he brushed it aside.

He snapped out of his trance when he noticed the street he was going to turn right on was approaching quickly. He stood tall and quickened his pace by half a step. When he turned the corner he immediately scanned the area for protection. But all of the stores he could see were either closed or out of business and boarded up.

Now Yuugi was panicking.

He flattened himself up against the wall and pushed his golden bangs behind his ear to listen. Were those footsteps or the pounding of his own heart?

Yuugi really wished Jounouchi was here.

The two had known each other most of there lives but only became friends two years ago when they were freshman in high school. Jou was the one who gave him confidence to make new friends. He was like Yuugi's older brother.

But then again, Jounouchi couldn't be with him. Yuugi was out shopping for his best friend's birthday party. He was out looking for a game he could play with all his friends for the party. Jou and most of Yuugi's small group of friends loved games, so it was only natural to host a game party. The task should be easy considering that Yuugi's grandfather owned a game shop but Jou had played all the games his grandfather owned more than once and Jounouchi was the type of person that likes change, surprises, and excitement.

So Yuugi, being a bit of a procrastinator, waited till the day of Jou's birthday party to look for the game. Yuugi could easily buy a video game or a computer game, but Jou didn't like video games as much as he liked old fashioned board games and his grandfather didn't own a computer, besides Yuugi's old laptop. Besides, it had to be a game that a large number of people could play at the same time and something everyone would enjoy.

Yuugi was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of footsteps. They were close.

What could he do? He quickly looked down the road again and noticed an odd mural painted on a storefront. Yuugi squinted and then blinked in surprise. Strange…some parts of the mural looked real and almost…three-dimensional. Like he could reach out and grab that doorknob…

Yuugi jumped back when he realized that the doorknob was real. He lifted his hand to touch what he assumed was a door that was hidden in the mural and was once again surprised when he felt wood under his fingers instead of a stone wall. A door, no, a store, hidden by a mural? That was strange. It must not get much business because it was camouflaged.

Yuugi heard footsteps quickly approaching and without hesitation he grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open and stepped inside a dimly lit room. He shut the door quietly behind him and noticed a push lock button on the handle and depressed it. Yuugi sighed in relief and rested his head on the door, he should be safe for now.

When he collected himself he turned around and took in the sight of the store. It was a game shop…a really weird game shop, but a game shop non the less. The fact that he stumbled upon a game shop was strangely convenient but he didn't care, he could look around and possibly find a game for the party while he waited for those guys to leave.

'I'm sure the owner would appreciate a customer,' Yuugi thought as he wondered around the nearly dark room, hearing music playing from somewhere inside the store. It was a strange combination of electro and classical. 'Must not get many customers because of that mural.'

As he wondered around the store he noticed how strange it really was. Everything looked so old and ancient and…creepy. Yuugi shivered when he saw a pirate game that consisted of chopping off the other player's pirate's head. Most of these games Yuugi had never seen before, and that was saying something. Wait, was that a triangular chess board?

Yuugi sighed in relief when he noticed something that was familiar to him – Duel Monsters. He shuffled through some of the cards and furrowed his eyebrows together. He had never seen these cards before. What was the Seal of Orichalcos? Yuugi shrugged and set the cards back down before looking around the store again.

It didn't look like there were many normal games that a large group of teenagers could play. All the games looked morbid and dark and otherworldly, then again, this whole store had a weird otherworldly vibe.

A sign hanging above the counter read:

**W E L C**

**O M E T**

**O M Y W**

**O R L D**

As Yuugi was tilting his head, trying to read it, he noticed a flash of gold out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw a golden box with strange Egyptian hieroglyphics scratched on its sides. In the center of all the strange markings was an eye. It looked familiar, his grandfather often talked about it. It was the Eye of Horus? Is that what his grandfather called it?

Yuugi reached out to touch the box, curious if it was real gold, and wanting to feel its cold, smooth surface, but then a voice sounded behind him.

"Can I help you?"

Yuugi nearly jumped ten feet in the air. He spun around and…lost his breath. Standing behind him was a boy, about Yuugi's age, maybe a few years older. The first thing Yuugi noticed was how similar this boy's hair was to his own, except with was more wild and had blond lightning bolts running through his hair.

Then Yuugi was taken aback by his eyes, and if he had any breath left in him he would gasp. The boy's eyes were slanted and had a certain gleam to them. They were the color of blood. They shimmered and shined in the dull lighting like rubies, catching the light and reflecting it just like real gems did. And…oh, God, they were beautiful.

The boy was tall and lean, he was possibly only an inch or two shorter than Jounouchi. He wore skin tight leather pants that hugged his hips and accentuated his long legs. He wore criss-crossing belts that were obviously just there for show. He wore a leather tank top, showing off his muscular, long arms.

"Can I help you?" the boy asked again, snapping Yuugi out of his daze. His voice was such a rich, deep baritone. The taller male planted a hand on his hip and stared at Yuugi, starting to get impatient.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry," Yuugi quickly apologized, blushing madly. The boy must think that he was a total idiot.

Amusement glittered in his ruby eyes. "It's fine. But is there something your looking for?"

"Oh, yeah! I want to buy a game…for a party…for my best friend."

Damn it! Why couldn't he speak today?

Yuugi came out of the closet about a year ago but he still didn't know how the whole being gay thing worked. He wasn't even comfortable approaching guys.

The boy's eyes suddenly brightened at the possibility of making a sale. "Be my guest. Is there anything in particular that you are looking for?"

"Um, something a lot of people can play at once."

"Ah, I think I have just the thing," the boy said happily. He moved over to a table where on display was a bronze board with tiny figurines sitting on it. "The ancient Tibetan game of goats and tigers. You see, the tigers," the beautiful boy picked a figurine of a crouching tiger from the board. "Stalk the innocent little goats and the goats try to get away from the tigers." The boy held another figurine of a goat in his other hand. "It's meant for only two players, but I guess more people can play."

Yuugi tried not to look frightened when the boy was describing the game to him. "N-no thanks." Yuugi cursed himself for stuttering. "That's not really the game I had in mind."

The boy rubbed his chin in thought and Yuugi just noticed a tattoo of a thorn bracelet circling his right wrist. Strange, it even had blood tattooed on where the thorns would prick his skin. 'He's so cute, but really strange. He's like one of those gothic punks.'

"I need a game that a lot of people can play at once," Yuugi said again, feeling stupid for repeating himself.

The gothic punk smiled at Yuugi that sent chills down the younger boy's spine. The taller male looked at Yuugi in a way that a predator would look at his prey. Now Yuugi was nervous.

Yuugi swept his eyes over the store once more and nervously took a step back towards the front door. "It doesn't look like you have anything like that in this store, so I better leave. Thanks anyway." Yuugi quickly turned around and started towards the door.

"Mystery."

Yuugi stopped dead in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. The boy was staring at Yuugi with a strange glint in his eyes. Like he was staring at something that was just out of reach.

"Danger. Seduction. Fear."

Now Yuugi turned around fully, the way the boy talked was mesmerizing.

"Secrets revealed. Desires unveiled."

Yuugi took a step towards the boy and stopped when the taller of the two pronounced the last word carefully, huskily.

"Temptation."

There was that strange glint in his red eyes again.

"Wh-what do you mean?" The way the older boy was staring at him gave Yuugi a full body blush.

The boy smirked happily, obviously pleased at Yuugi's reaction. "The Game, of course. That's what you want, isn't it? Something very…special." The boy's eyes roamed over Yuugi's body at the word "special". Yuugi shivered, feeling like those captivating red eyes were undressing him.

"I think I'd better lea—,"

"We do have something like that in stock," the boy said eagerly, not wanting Yuugi to leave.

Yuugi noticed that the boy said "we", but during his stay at the game store he only saw this one boy, no other workers milling about.

Yuugi opening his mouth to speak when he was cut off yet again. "Let me got get it for you." And then the boy disappeared through a door to the back room.

'Quick Yuugi, now's your chance, leave while he's gone,' Yuugi thought. But the boy quickly reappeared like he had sensed Yuugi was about to leave.

He smiled fondly at the younger male and approached with a Monopoly sized box in hand. "I think this is what you've been looking for," he said, holding the box out to show Yuugi.

It was a simple cardboard game box but what really caught Yuugi's attention was how it was designed. It was golden with Egyptian hieroglyphics printed on the box, the Eye of Horus in the dead center. It looked like that other box he had seen earlier. At the top, above the eye, the words: THE SHADOW GAME was scrawled on messily like they were done in black sharpie.

Yuugi immediately felt drawn to it.

The older boy smiled like a lion, like he knew that Yuugi desired the game.

"Could I see it?" Yuugi asked, reaching out a hand to touch it.

The taller boy swiped it out of Yuugi's reach and tried to contain his smile from stretching across his face anymore. Yuugi pouted; now the boy was just teasing him. "I don't know…" The boy tilted the box between his hands, appearing to ponder if he should sell it to Yuugi or not, but Yuugi could hear the amusement in the other boy's voice. The boy finally shook his head. "On second thought, I don't think I should sell it to you after all."

Yuugi had to resist the urge to stomp his foot like a child. He could practically hear the boy snickering inside his head. But wait, did Yuugi actually hear snickering coming from the back room. Nah, that was just his imagination.

"Why not?" Yuugi asked, irritated.

"Because it's too special to give to just _anybody_. Maybe if you explained to me what the situation is…"

Yuugi huffed; what a tease. "I already told you," Yuugi said, his tone sharp. "It's for a party, for my best friend, Jounouchi. He's turning seventeen today."

The boy played with the sharp corners of the box and looked indifferent. "So?"

Yuugi took a deep breath. "So…I need something for us today. I already screwed up with planning and organizing the party and Jou really deserves the best."

The boy looked up and stared at Yuugi with his shocking red eyes. "Does he?"

Yuugi was at a loss for words at this. "O-of course he does! He's my best friend and we have always been there for each other. He is always protecting me and giving me courage. He's a really sweet guy and everything I wish I could be."

"I get it," the boy nearly snapped out.

Yuugi shook his head. "No, you don't." Yuugi had no idea where all this courage came from. "He is a great, wonderful guy. We haven't known each other that long but he has made up for that. He is the best friend any guy could ask for and if anyone disagrees—!"

Yuugi stopped. The box was being held out to him.

"Here, you can have it if you want," the boy said, his voice had no real emotion or enthusiasm in it.

Yuugi hesitated for a moment. The boy sighed and shoved the box in Yuugi's face, starting to get irritated. "Do you want it or not?"

Yuugi cleared his throat and took the box from the boy's long, lean fingers. The box buzzed and tingled under the pads of his fingers. "Yes, thank you. H-how much?"

The boy shrugged his shoulder and cleaned his fingernails. "Free."

"Wh-what?" Yuugi choked out.

The boy sighed again. "Listen, if you want it, that's fine, just take it. Just go before I change my mind."

Yuugi blinked; where did that come from?

"Oh, um, thanks. Uh…see you later," Yuugi said politely. He turned around to walk out, not expecting a reply.

He heard the boy behind him murmur something that sounded like "at nine" but it must have been something like "that's fine".

Yuugi looked back one more time and saw the boy hidden half in the shadows, his sharp features jumping out. He has looking at Yuugi with a hungry look in his eyes. He smiled at Yuugi, unnerving the younger boy. "Enjoy," he said happily.

Yuugi opened his mouth to say something when he heard an unseen grandfather clock strike.

_7: 30_

Yuugi couldn't believe the time, there was no way that he had stayed in the store for so long. Yuugi dashed out the door, yelling another "thank you" over his shoulder, before slamming the store door shut behind him. He ran as fast as his short legs could carry him, cradling the box to his chest. He really hoped he could get home before everyone else did.

In his rush, Yuugi didn't even notice that the mural and the door to the game shop had disappeared, leaving behind a blank, colorless wall.

-/-

**Ranko: I love the Forbidden Game series so much and I was just struck by inspiration one day and this came together!**

**Yami: You are such a liar. Why don't you just admit that you really wanted to do a Yu-Gi-Oh story and create a dark/evil me?**

**Ranko: Shut up, Yami! You're already dark and evil!**

**Yami: No I'm not!**

**Ranko: (laughs) Have you not seen season 0? 4kids doesn't own season 0 so it isn't censored so you basically see Yuugi get his ass handed to him every episode. And then you (points to Yami) go all crazy and torture anyone that bullied Yuugi.**

**Yuugi: (shudders)**

**Yami: …Oh yeah**

**Ranko: (nods) On another note, I finished Yu-Gi-Oh last night and I am still depressed. You see what happened was—!"**

**Yami: (covers Yuugi's ears) No spoilers!**

**Ranko: Oh…right. Anyway, to cheer myself up I put this plot together in five minutes, grabbed my Forbidden Game books and went to work. For some people out there who have read the trilogy, I love to add my own twist to the story when I do a crossover. I take away and I give, so don't expect this story to be exactly the same way L.J. Smith did it.**

**Yuugi: (gives the puppy dog eyes of death!) Please review.**

**Ranko: Warning! This story will contain: dark puzzleshipping (maybe one-sided), one-sided wishshipping, and one-sided puppyshipping. Cause I like it! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Ranko: (sits at her desk surrounded by used tissues)**

**Yuugi: Ranko?**

**Ranko: Leave me alone… (blows nose)**

**Yuugi: Okay? Well, since Ranko is sick, I'll do the disclaimer. Ranko twin does not own the Forbidden Game series or the Yu-Gi-Oh series. This story is not profitable, she doesn't make any money off of it, it's just for fun.**

**Ranko: (coughs) I want Ryou!**

**Yami: (walks in) Quit your eternal bitching!**

**Ranko: You're not aloud to make a Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged reference when I'm sick!**

**Yuugi: Be nicer to her, Yami! (hugs Ranko) Don't worry, Ryou will show up in this chapter along with all the other main characters.**

**Ranko: Yay…enjoy.**

-/-

Yuugi made it home with five minutes to spare before his friends were supposed to show up. In the meantime he could just throw some chips in a bowl and maybe order a pizza later. Yuugi unlocked the back door to the game shop, the box tucked under his left arm, and started to walk upstairs to their apartment complex above the shop.

Halfway up the stair Yuugi caught the scent of sukiyaki wafting from the kitchen upstairs. Yuugi furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. His grandfather was out of town on a dig in Egypt, he shouldn't be home for another two weeks at least. Who was upstairs cooking then?

Yuugi ran up the rest of the stairs and found…

His closest friend Ryou cooking over a pot of sukiyaki that was bubbling on the stove as Ryou's boyfriend, Bakura, hugged the smaller boy from behind, peaking over Ryou's shoulder and constantly asking, "Is it ready yet?"

Yuugi sighed in relief and watched the two lovers, that hadn't noticed him yet, from the doorway. Looking at the two of them side by side, you would think they are related. They both had the same snowy white hair and tall, lean body structure. Although, Bakura's hair was more spiked and his chocolate brown eyes weren't as soft as Ryou's and Ryou was much gentle than his counterpart in many ways and he was so small and tiny, not having any muscle or an ounce of extra body fat.

The two were actually second cousins. They had met at a wedding and Ryou thought that Bakura was the most obnoxious person he had ever met, while Bakura teased Ryou relentlessly and calling the smaller boy names like "kitten". How they eventually got together, Yuugi will never know.

But they were the cutest couple; they completed each other in a weird way. Ryou kept Bakura in line and Bakura was just…Bakura.

Their relationship was strong and they had problems with homophobes during their first year of dating; they would call Ryou names everyday but Bakura and Malik took care of them easily enough.

These two had their whole life together planned out and it always made Yuugi smile every time he thought about it. Bakura was a senior and Ryou was only a junior, so when Bakura graduated he would find a job in Domino and live there with Ryou for another year and wait until he graduated also. Ryou would live with Bakura his senior year since Ryou basically lived alone in his family's old apartment – his mother and sister dead, and his father always traveling.

Then the two would get married after Ryou graduated and they would travel the world.

It was a dream Yuugi hoped would come true for the two lovebirds.

"Yuugi!" Ryou said happily, looking up from the stove as Bakura kissed his pale neck lightly.

Yuugi snapped out of his daze and blushed.

"We were beginning to think you wouldn't show up, shortie. Just be glad Ryou is a nice guy and came over to cook for the party and save your sorry ass. I wouldn't have," Bakura commented.

"'Kura, language," Ryou chastised. Bakura pouted and buried his face in the crook of Ryou's neck. "Besides, you couldn't cook if you tried."

"Thanks Ryou," Yuugi said, going over to hug his friend.

Ryou squirmed out of his boyfriend's hug and went to embrace Yuugi. "I thought that you might need help and I know how much Jounouchi like sukiyaki."

"Yeah, yeah," Bakura said snidely, hooking an arm around Ryou's waist and pulling him close. "Go get changed, shrimp, you look like a mess."

Yuugi looked down at himself; he wasn't that filthy. But then again, Bakura said that to practically everyone. Yuugi walked into the living room to set the game on the coffee table, he immediately felted chilled after he let it go. "Is anyone else here?"

Ryou and Bakura followed Yuugi into the living room. "Um," Ryou put a finger to his chin in thought. "Malik came with us, but I don't know where he went."

Yuugi sighed, Malik and Bakura were the two troubling seniors; teachers counted down the days until the two reckless boys graduated. They were always causing trouble and wreaking havoc, ever since they met in kindergarten. Malik was a beautiful, tanned Egyptian with a lot of fan girls, and boys. Malik says he's straight but by the way he dresses he is often mistaken as gay.

"That's a mess I'll have to clean up later," Yuugi mumbled under his breath.

Someone knocked on the back door of the game shop from downstairs. "Oh, can you get that?" Yuugi asked. "I have to go change since I am such a mess," Yuugi said, making sure to throw Bakura a look.

"Sure," Ryou said before Bakura could say something mean.

Yuugi shook his head and walked down the hall to his room. He pushed open the door to his room and was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. "Hey Yuugi! How's my favorite cousin?"

When Yuugi realized who it was he immediately wrapped his arms around the person's waist. "Mai!"

Mai Kujaku was Yuugi's cousin and a freshman in college, despite the fact that she looked like she was still in high school. She was Yuugi's favorite cousin but the two rarely got to see each other since Mai now attended Tokyo University. She had long, flowing golden hair that went past her waist and large, expressive violet eyes. She dressed in her own clothes that she designed to show off her curvy figure.

Mai released Yuugi and held him at arms length. "Wow, Yuugi, have you gotten taller?" It was an ongoing joke for Mai to ask that every time she sees him, since it seems that Yuugi stopped growing after twelve.

"Ha-ha," Yuugi said sarcastically. "How have you been, Mai? How's school going?" Yuugi asked, excited to see his beloved cousin again.

Mai sat down on Yuugi's bed, crossing her long legs and waving her hand in a dismissing manner. "It's hell, but that's life."

Yuugi couldn't help but laugh, Mai was just so cool.

"You didn't answer my question, Yuugi? How are you doing? With grandpa gone all the time it must get lonely," Mai commented sadly, she knew the feeling of being alone all too well.

Yuugi thought of his friends and shook his head. "Not as lonely as you may think. Life is actually going pretty good right now."

"No one is bullying you for any…reason?" Mai asked cautiously.

Yuugi knew she meant, "No one is bullying you because you're gay?"

Yuugi shook his head and smiled at her reassuringly. "I'm fine, Mai."

Mai looked up at him and Yuugi took a step back from the intensity of her gaze. "Are you, Yuugi?"

"Um…I-I don't underst -,"

Mai stood up and grasped Yuugi's shoulders, shaking him lightly. She bore her eyes into his intensely. "Mai?"

"Has anything strange happened to you recently?" Mai asked.

Yuugi immediately thought of the strange game shop and the gothic punk that gave him THE SHADOW GAME for free. Yuugi started to shake his head but Mai shook his shoulders again. "Yuugi, this is very serious."

Mai didn't have to tell Yuugi that, he could tell she was serious by the look in her eye. Fortunately, Yuugi was saved from answering when someone called for him from some other part of the house. "I'll be there in a second," Yuugi called back. He turned back to Mai; she hadn't moved her gaze away from him. "I have to get changed Mai, can you give me some privacy?"

Mai stared at Yuugi a moment longer and then let him go. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that Yuugi."

Yuugi smiled at that; he was glad to see that Mai seemed to be back to normal. "It's nothing to apologize for," Yuugi reassured. 'Even though you scared me half to death.'

Mai nodded, it looked like she wanted to say more but she let it be. "I'll let you get dressed, then." With that said, Mai walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

'That was weird,' Yuugi thought. 'I wonder what had gotten into Mai?' He thought about it a moment more and then shrugged it off. 'I'll just talk to her later.'

Yuugi quickly got changed into a pair of comfortable jeans and his favorite faded out, dark blue shirt that was one size too small. After checking himself in the mirror, he nodded in approval and made his way back to the living room.

He saw that most of his friends were already there. Bakura was trying to make out with Ryou on the couch. Malik was wondering around the house bored. And Honda was flirting with Anzu, a new member to their group of friends. Mai was sitting on the couch, staring at the game box with narrowed eyes. Everyone was here except Jounouchi.

As if on cue, someone knocked at the door. "I'll get it," Yuugi said, already making his way downstairs.

When he opened the door he was nearly knocked down when his best friend Jounouchi tackle hugged him. "Hey Yuugi! How is my favorite spiky haired best friend doing?" Jou asked, ruffling Yuugi's gravity defying locks.

Yuugi laughed and wrapped his arms around Jou's waist to return the hug. "Jou, I'm your only spiky haired best friend."

Jou released Yuugi from his hug only to wrap an arm around Yuugi's shoulders. "Details, details. Is everyone here already? Did you get me anything nice? Is that Ryou's sukiyaki that I smell? I love sukiyaki!"

Yuugi laughed at his best friend and his silly antics; he didn't even notice the blond blush.

"Always thinking with your stomach, mutt?" a voice asked from behind the two friends.

Jounouchi stiffened and whirled around, Yuugi still in his one armed hug. "Seto Kaiba?" Jou cried disbelieving. "What are you doing here?"

Kaiba crossed his long arms over his chest and scoffed. "Don't think I came because I wanted to. The runt invited me," Kaiba said, gesturing to Yuugi.

Yuugi looked at Kaiba sadly and Jounouchi mistook that as Yuugi feeling insulted. "Hey!" Jounouchi cried in outrage. "Don't insult my best friend!"

"It's fine, Jounouchi," Yuugi said, trying to calm his friend down.

"No, it's not, I'm tired of this guy always belittling my friends!"

Kaiba snorted in amusement. "I didn't even know you knew what the word belittle meant, mutt."

Yuugi had to latch his arms around Jounouchi's waist to keep the blond from attacking Kaiba. "Why I oughta!"

"Jou!" Honda called from upstairs. "Get your ass up here so we can get this party started."

Jou threw Kaiba one last cold glare before dashing up the stairs to the apartment complex where everyone was.

When Jounouchi was out of earshot, Yuugi turned to Kaiba and shook his head sadly. "Kaiba, I invited you to this party to help you with Jounouchi, but you have to put some effort into this if you really want Jounouchi to like you. That means you can't insult him or his friends."

Seto Kaiba ran his long fingers through his hair and sighed. "I know."

Yuugi smiled at the taller male and nodded his head. "Alright, now let's go upstairs and join the party."

_Meanwhile ~_

The phone rang in the kitchen. "I'll get it," Mai said, quickly getting off the couch. Ryou had given in to Bakura and the couple had been making out of the couch next to Mai, making it a very uncomfortable situation for the female. On the third ring Mai picked up the phone. "Hello, Motou residence, Mai speaking."

"_Mai?" _Suguroku asked. _"How have you been doing? When did you get into Domino?"_

"Hey gramps, I've been doing fine, college has been good. I just came in a few days ago, I think you know why," Mai whispered the last part, moving farther away from the living room.

It was silent on the other line for a moment and then, _"You felt it too?"_

"Yes, I felt it just a few days ago in the middle of class so I packed my things and jumped on a train to Domino, I searched nearly everywhere in Domino where they might be hiding but I never felt it again until I came here to the house, to the game shop."

_"Wh-what?"_

"I was just as surprised as you. But here's the real shock…are you sitting down, gramps?"

Mai heard rustling on the other line. _"Now I am."_

"You're grandson was the one who found it, it's sitting on your coffee table right now."

_"Th-that's impossible! Yuugi has no ties to the Shadow Realm, we cut them off years ago! Throw that game away right now, Mai! I mean it!"_

At that moment Yuugi entered the living room with Seto in tow.

"I don't think I can do that, gramps."

_"Why not?"_

Mai closed her eyes and saw the world through her mind's eye. She saw an innocent, violet aura surrounding Yuugi and a dark, tainted aura surrounding the box. There was a thin green line connecting the two together. Mai opened her eyes again. "Because, he has already has a connection formed. We both know the only way to cut it is to play the game and win."

_"Damn him! I wish I were there right now. Mai, Yuugi is a light, you must protect him at all costs and win that game!"_

"I will, grandpa, it is my duty to protect Yuugi."

_"Mai?"_

"Yes?"

_"Good luck."_

"Thanks, I'll need a lot of it."

Then grandpa hung up.

Mai sighed and put the receiver back in its cradle.

"Mai? Who was that on the phone?"

Mai turned around and saw Yuugi standing in the kitchen doorway. "It's was just gramps checking up on you. He says he loves you and to take care," Mai lied quickly.

Yuugi smiled. "Oh, okay. Well we're going to start eating, you going to join us?"

"Of course," Mai said, following Yuugi out into the living room.

It was going to be a very informal dinner. All of Yuugi's friends were scattered around the living room, either sitting on the couch or loveseat, or just sitting on the floor. Ryou was passing out bowls of sukiyaki to everyone, trying not to trip over various pairs of feet. Jounouchi was sitting on the couch, tapping his foot anxiously and staring at THE SHADOW GAME.

"Hey Yuugi, is this the game we're going to play tonight?" Jou asked excitedly.

"Yep," Yuugi answered, excepting a bowl of sukiyaki from Ryou.

"I've never heard of it before," Jou mumbled, slurping up some of the noodles. "Can we play it while we eat, Yuugi?"

Mai nearly choked on the piece of beef she was eating.

"Sure, Jounouchi, it's your party," Yuugi said happily, kneeling beside the coffee table. Everyone surrounded the coffee table as well at that moment. Yuugi felt a warm buzzing under his fingertips when he touched the lid and quickly pulled his hand back like it had shocked him.

"Are you alright, Yuugi?" Jou asked.

Yuugi noticed that Jou had his palm flat against the lid of the box; didn't Jou feel it to?

Mai narrowed her eyes when she saw her cousin pull his hand back quickly when he touched the box. 'Alright, Shadow Men, you're going to pay. You're not going to take Yuugi.'

"I'm fine, Jou," Yuugi reassured, rubbing his hand absentmindedly. Yuugi stared at the box for a moment, wondering why he felt his heart contract when he even looked at the game. Maybe he was just nervous; he didn't even look at the game before he brought it home. It could be a really stupid game. Yeah, that's it, he was just nervous.

Before Yuugi knew it, Jounouchi had lifted the lid of the box off and was pulling out sheets of thick, glossy tagboard.

"Huh?" Yuugi and Jounouchi said simultaneously.

"It's a doll house," Ryou observed; he settled himself onto Bakura's lap. "I mean, a paper house."

'What game are you playing, Shadow Men?' Mai thought.

"That's not a game," Kaiba scoffed. "That's a kids' toy."

Bakura shrugged his shoulders. He moved Ryou gently out of his lap and crawled over next to Malik. "You got some scissors?" he asked Yuugi.

Malik pulled a pocket knife out of his back pocket and handed it to Bakura. "That'll work," Bakura said, looking at the knife from different angles. "We're going to need some glue and a ruler too."

"You're going to make it?" Mai asked, feeling a block of ice settle in her gut.

"Why not?" Honda asked.

Anzu giggled. "It's cute."

Yuugi shook his head. "I have to agree with Mai on this one. It's a paper house, not a game." The real reason Yuugi didn't want to put it together because he just had this feeling that if they did, something bad would happen.

Mai nodded. 'That's it, Yuugi. Listen to your instincts.'

"Actually, it is a game," Jou announced. "The intructions are written on the back of this lid." Jounouchi looked them over one more time and smirked evilly. "Scary instructions."

Yuugi furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He had played a lot of games before, but none of them ever involved a paper house. "How are we going to…?"

Yuugi trailed off when he saw Jou give him the puppy dog eyes; he wasn't as good as Yuugi or Ryou but they still had the same effect. "Come on, Yuugi, please? It's my birthday."

Yuugi sighed. "Alright, fine."

Mai silently cursed.

Jounouchi cheered.

They put the house together as they ate. They occasionally spilt broth or grease on the tagboard while they were gesturing with their chopsticks. They even got a few drops of blood on the tagboard when Bakura and Malik were fighting over the pocket knife, which resulted in Ryou taking away the knife and giving the boys child safety scissors.

Finally, it was done. The final image was a three foot high, three story Victorian house with a turret and it was open in the front like a dollhouse. The roof was removable. They all worked hard on the house, everyone seemed to enjoy doing it, except Mai and the only person complaining was Malik because he got his knife taken away. Anzu gushed over how cute it was.

They worked hard putting together every chimney, balcony, eave, and cornices.

Anzu dug into the box and pulled out little pieces of furniture. "Look, here's some furniture we can put in the house. Are you done with the first floor yet, Bakura?"

Bakura grumbled in response; Ryou translated that as a yes.

Anzu studied a piece of furniture she held between her pointer finger and thumb. "Look, it's a little parlor table. Gothic revival, I think." Anzu shrugged her shoulders and carefully put the table in the middle of the parlor.

"Here's an oriental screen," Ryou said, holding it up for everyone to see. "I'll put it in the parlor for all the dolls to look at."

"There are dolls?" Yuugi and Mai asked at the same time.

"Yep," Jou nodded his head enthusiastically. He plopped himself down on the couch, the game lid in hand. "And they're _us_."

'This can't be good,' Mai thought.

"The instructions say that we each get a doll for a playing piece, and we draw our face on it, and then we move the pieces through the house, trying to get to the turret at the top. That's the game," Jou finished.

"That sounds easy enough," Yuugi said.

Bakura threw some of the pieces of furniture on the table in outrage. "You said the game would be scary!"

"Bakura, calm down," Ryou said, rubbing Bakura's back.

"You didn't let me finish, you idiot," Jounouchi snapped. "It's a haunted house. You run into a different nightmare in every room while you're trying to get to the top. And you have to watch out for the Shadow Men."

Mai choked on air.

"The Shadow Men?" Mai and Yuugi said together again.

The cousins exchanged looks. "We've got to stop doing that," Yuugi said.

"Yeah, the Shadow Men, they're kind of like the Sandman, except there's more than one and they bring nightmares. It's like they are the owners of the house and we are the trespassers. They lurk around inside and if one of them catches you…well, just listen – it says, 'They'll bring life to your darkest fantasies and make you confess you're most secret fears.'"

"Alright!" Bakura cheered.

"Oh, man," Honda mumbled.

"What kind of darkest fantasies?" Ryou asked, latching onto Bakura's shirt.

'_Mystery_,_' _Yuugi thought of that's beautiful man's voice, like he was right behind him, whispering it into his ear. _'Danger. Seduction. Fear. Secrets revealed. Desires unveiled.'_

'_Temptation.'_

"You alright, Yuugi?" Jounouchi asked.

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, just got the chills," Yuugi lied; he was a horrible liar.

Jounouchi winked at his best friend. "Don't worry, Yuugi. I'll protect you from the big bad Shadow Men," Jounouchi exclaimed triumphantly.

Seto Kaiba put a hand to his mouth to stifle a laugh.

Jounouchi glared across the table at the young CEO but didn't say anything for Yuugi's sake.

"Hey," Bakura said, getting the two friends' attention. "Go get some crayons or something; we're going to be doing a lot of drawing."

Yuugi nodded his head and went to get some crayons and colored pencils from the bottom shelf of the china cabinet.

"Why?" Honda asked nervously.

"I already told you. We have to face a different nightmare in each room. So we draw our nightmare on a piece of paper, shuffle them and place them face down in different rooms and when we get to that room we flip the paper over and see what the person's nightmare is," Bakura explained.

"That's an interesting game," Mai said, rubbing her chin in thought.

Anzu hummed to herself as she placed furniture around the house. "I think I'm going to like this game."

"I found some crayons and colored pencils," Yuugi said, dropping the art utensils on the coffee table.

Ryou rummaged through the sheets left in the box and pulled out pieces of paper with human outlines. The paper dolls.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Laughing over their own silly nightmares and feeling like children again as they cut out the paper dolls and colored them in their likeness. So why did Yuugi feel so cold inside?

After Yuugi had completed his doll look a like, which was not an easy task considering his hair was tri-colored and pointed into spikes, Yuugi looked down at a blank sheet of paper where he was supposed to draw his nightmare.

Yuugi had a nightmare, a very personal, real, traumatizing nightmare…he just couldn't remember it.

There were occasionally flashes of the memory, or nightmare, but they never stayed.

His old house. His parents smiling faces. The basement he was always afraid to go down to. A closed closet door. Opening that door. So many eyes and voices. Hands reaching for him. Screams.

And then he couldn't remember anything. His next memory was Mai finding him huddled up in a corner in the basement, crying, and then taking him to grandpa.

And even if he did remember that nightmare, he wouldn't draw it.

Yuugi watched as his friends drew their nightmares, asking for different colors and when someone asked what their nightmare was the other would respond, "It's a secret."

And it was a secret, they weren't supposed to see the nightmares until they came across them in one of the many rooms in the house. 'None of them could have a secret like mine,' Yuugi thought.

Yuugi looked at Jounouchi from the corner of his eye. What could be his nightmare? Is Jou even afraid of anything? Strong, brave, courageous Jounouchi?

Before Yuugi knew it, everyone was passing their folded pieces of paper with their nightmares on them to Bakura who was shuffling them. "Aren't you done yet, shrimp?" Bakura asked.

Yuugi looked down at his blank piece of paper and blushed, he would just have to explain to everyone later. He folded the piece of paper and gave it to Bakura who shuffled them again and placed them in random rooms.

"Now we place our dolls in the parlor, the starting point. And there should be cards in here somewhere…" Ryou trailed off, looking in the box for the cards, he finally pulled them out and put them in a stack on the table.

"Now all that's left is…the Shadow Men," Jounouchi said dramatically.

"Here they are," Ryou said, pulling out three different cutouts. He looked at them in confusion. "Funny, this one looks like you Bakura," Ryou mentioned.

Bakura snatched the doll out of his hand and studied it. The man had tanned skin and deep brown eyes, with a scar running down his left eye. He had short, unruly white hair that went down to his shoulders, and he wore a cocky smirk. He was dressed in a blood red leather tank top and skintight gray pants.

Bakura shrugged his shoulders. "I am more handsome though." And he put that Shadow Man in the parlor with the rest of the dolls.

Anzu peaked over Ryou's shoulder to see the other two Shadow Men and her eyes widened.

"And this one looks like Malik," Ryou said, handing the doll to Malik.

This Shadow Man had crazy bleach blond hair that was spiked in all different directions. His deep purple eyes were slanted and he wore half of a smile that promised pain. The doll was wearing a black tank top with a long back cape attached to it and long khaki pants.

"This physco looks nothing like me!" Malik cried, throwing the doll in the parlor.

Before Ryou could show everyone the third Shadow Man, Anzu snatched the doll out of his hand and admired him. "He can shadow me if he wants, I think he's cute."

Bakura stood up and took the doll out of Anzu's hands before putting it in the parlor with the rest of the dolls.

Yuugi gasped at what he saw. He couldn't believe it. It was him. The boy from the game shop. The boy who had identical hair with his own. The gothic punk.

The boy with the ruby eyes.

-/-

**Ranko: And that is the end to chapter 2. Just so you guys know, I don't update every week or every other week, I update whenever I can.**

**Yami: And because she's lazy.**

**Ranko: Exactly!**

**Yuugi: How are you feeling, Ranko?**

**Ranko: (hugs Yuugi) I am doing much better! Thank you!**

**Yami: (takes Yuugi) Back off.**

**Ranko: (smiles evilly) Enjoy the time you have with him now, because in the story he is going to hate your guts!**

**Yami: What? (runs off to read Forbidden Game books)**

**Ranko: (shakes her head) Anyway…I know this story is going at a snails pace right now but please, bear with me, it was slow like this in the original book too. I promise, it will pick up with the next chapter. So…Mai has a (obvious) secret! Can you guess what it is? Please review and tell me what you think!**

**Yuugi: Also, if you have any ideas of what some of the nightmares for the characters can be, please, leave it in a review. Ranko twin is open to suggestions and she needs major help with the nightmares. She already has a nightmare for me but if you have any ideas, let us know.**

**Ranko: (shakes head sadly) I have no imagination.**

**Ranko&Yuugi: Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yami: (reading the Forbidden Game) Hey Ranko?**

**Ranko: Yeah?**

**Yami: I don't get this book.**

**Ranko: Huh? What's not to get?**

**Yami: Well first of all, the canon pairing in this book is Jenny (Yuugi) and Tom (Jounouchi) but the pairing for this fanfic is puzzleshipping.**

**Ranko: That's because I don't like Tom in the Forbidden Game books. He's a big baby and he doesn't appreciate Jenny. Julian (Yami) truly loves Jenny with all his heart and Tom is just…there.**

**Yami: Okay, makes sense. But you gave me the role of the evil, possessive, creepy guy that stalks poor Yuugi and basically sexually assaults him!**

**Ranko: You got a problem with that?**

**Yami: (thinks) Actually, no, that's what half of puzzleshipping fanfics on this site are like.**

**Yuugi: (sighs) Idiots. Ranko twin does not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the Forbidden Game series; she's just doing this for fun.**

**Ranko: Also, a big thank you to Inspiration's Wonderer for the suggestions! You rock!**

-/-

Yuugi couldn't believe what he was seeing. Every curve, every hair, even the light bouncing off his skin was so lifelike. Yuugi wouldn't be surprised if the picture winked at him at any second. What was even more disturbing was not only that the paper doll shared a resemblance to Yuugi but also the fact that the two other Shadow Men looked like two other of his friends.

What Yuugi couldn't really wrap his mind around was that the doll and the boy from the store looked so much a like; it couldn't be a coincidence. 'Maybe he's just a fan of the game and changed his look to match the Shadow Man,' Yuugi tried to convince himself. 'Like those cosplayers for Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy.'

"…uugi? Yuugi? Yuugi!" Jou called to get his best friend's attention; the smaller boy had been staring at that doll for a really long time. Not that Jounouchi could blame him; to say that Jounouchi was surprised when he saw the doll would be an understatement, he was shocked! He couldn't understand how Yuugi could look like a doll that no one from their group of friends had ever seen before.

But Yuugi was in a complete trance.

Jounouchi snapped his fingers in Yuugi's face and the smaller boy jumped in surprise and turned to Jounouchi. "You alright, pal?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm okay Jou, just surprised is all," Yuugi reassured.

Mai looked at her cousin from the corner of her eye.

Jou nodded his head, not completely convinced, but let it go anyway.

"Hey, Jounouchi, dim the lights," Bakura commanded.

Jounouchi grumbled something under his breath and threw Bakura a look but did it anyway.

"Why?" Honda asked.

"For the reading of the oath," Malik said creepily, holding a flashlight under his chin.

"What oath?" Mai asked suspiciously.

"The Oath of the Game," Bakura answered just as creepily, wiggling his fingers. Bakura reached for the lid of the box that was tossed aside at one point. "It says here that we each have to swear that we're playing this game of our own free will, and that this game is real." Bakura flipped the lid over so everyone could see.

On the inside, above the printed instructions, was an inverted and squared-off _U_ that, to Yuugi, looked like it was deeply impressed in the cover and colored a rusty red.

"Let me see that," Jou commanded, swiping the lid out of Bakura's hands. "'There is a Shadow Realm, like our own but different, existing alongside our world but never touching. Some people call it the world of dreams, but it is as real as anything else'…and then it says that entering the Shadow Realm can be dangerous, so play at your own risk." A large grin broke out across Jounouchi's face and he started laughing. "It actually says that playing the game can be hazardous to your life and you have to swear you understand that. What a load of bull! Anyway, I swear!"

Ryou clung to Bakura's shirt and snuggled against his boyfriend's chest. "I don't think I want to play anymore."

Bakura rubbed Ryou's back soothingly. "Come on, Ryou, you know I won't let anything bad happen to you. Besides, its just a game."

"Well…I-I, um…" Ryou stuttered out helplessly.

"Just swear already!" Honda said, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat. The brunet huffed and said, "I swear I understand this game may kill me before I ever get laid!" **(A/N: This was really said in the book! I didn't just pull it out of my hat; what Honda said is more tame than what is said in the original.)**

"Honda!" Yuugi, Ryou, and Bakura screeched.

Malik burst into a hysteric fit of laughter.

"Now you, rich boy!" Jounouchi said, pointed a finger at the young CEO. "Swear!"

Seto scoffed. "I swear," he said indifferently.

Ryou sighed. "I guess, I swear too."

Bakura hugged his boyfriend tightly. "I swear!"

Anzu raised her hand. "Me three!" she chirped. The girl looked around the room and counted how many people didn't swear. "What about you, Mai?"

Mai folded her arms across her chest and sat down on the arm of the couch next to Yuugi. "I swear that I will kick those Shadow Men's asses," Mai said, looking pointedly at the paper house.

Jounouchi nodded and nudged Yuugi's side with his elbow. "What about you, Yuugi? You game?" He finished with a wink directed towards his best friend.

Yuugi blushed a little and thought it over. He wouldn't want to spoil the fun when everyone was already so excited and Yuugi was the master of games so not taking a challenge was unthinkable in any one of his friends' eyes. "I swear," he said with a determined nod.

Jounouchi whooped and kicked the lid of the box in the air, Honda's foot flashed out, kicking it back to Jou. It landed by Yuugi's feet.

Yuugi could have sworn that he saw the _U_ flash – but that couldn't be. It was just a trick of the light.

"Alright, all the little dollies in the parlor?" Bakura asked after everyone had gathered around the table. "Okay, someone want to draw first?"

After a few minutes had passed and no had drawn a card, Yuugi reached out to take the first card from the deck. He read, "'You have gathered in this room with your friends to play the Game.'"

There was a silence after Yuugi read the card and then everyone started laughing.

"That was kind of anticlimactic," Ryou said behind his hand, trying to stifle his giggles.

"I'll go next!" Jou announced, taking the next card from the deck. "'You each have a secret you would rather die than reveal.'"

Everyone exchanged looks.

"My turn," Anzu said eagerly. She reached forward for the next card. "'You hear the sound of footsteps from one of the rooms above.'" Anzu furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion. "But that's impossible, there are no rooms above, this is a one story apartment."

Mai sighed. "Not in this house, darling. In that house." Mai pointed to the paper dollhouse.

Anzu looked at the paper house on the table, then at the ceiling above her. "Oh!" she cried, embarrassed, as she realized her mistake. Anzu was about to put the card back when they all heard it.

Footsteps from above, like a child running on a wooden floor.

Anzu and Ryou shrieked, Ryou clinging to Bakura for safety. Bakura jumped, suddenly alarmed and looked above them. Mai stiffened. Honda tried to reach for Anzu, but she smacked his hand away. Malik reached for his knife and remembered that Ryou hid it. Even Seto looked.

But Jounouchi started laughing. "It's squirrels! They run on the roof of the game shop all the time, right Yuugi?" Jou asked, still amused.

Yuugi nodded and murmured a quiet "yes" but still felt uneasy.

"Okay, who's next?" Jounouchi asked, looking around the room and studying everyone's faces. No one made a move to get the next card. "Oh, come on, guys! It's just a game!" Still, no one reached for the deck. "Alright, you cowards, I'll go. This one is for you, Honda."

Jounouchi reached for a card and read it. "'You go to a window to get some fresh air, but it seems to be stuck.'" Jou looked up from the card and saw the expressions on all his friends' faces. "You have got to be kidding me! I will prove that this is just a game!" Jounouchi got up and went to the nearest window in the living room; he flipped the locks on the handle.

"Jou, don't!" Yuugi cried, feeling a sense of dread come over him. Before he knew what he was doing, he got up and latched onto Jounouchi's arm.

Despite Yuugi on his arm like a leach, Jounouchi pulled open the window…or, at least, tried to. A look of intense concentration was on Jou's face and he jerked on the handle to the window again. "Somethings wrong with this damn thing! There must be another lock…"

"It's stuck," Honda said helplessly. "Just like the card said," he said the last part under his breath.

"Don't be stupid," Bakura snapped, holding Ryou close to him.

Before anyone could stop her, Mai drew another card. "'None of the doors or windows in this house will open.'" It was almost like someone was talking to them now through the cards.

The room was silent, the only thing heard was Jounouchi's cursing. No one drew another card.

"You can't honestly tell me you dorks believe in this crap?" Seto huffed, taking another card.

"Don't!" Yuugi cried, but refusing to let Jounouchi's arm go. "No! Please Seto, don't read it," Yuugi whimpered.

"'You hear a clock strike nine,'" Seto read.

"Yuugi, please tell me you don't have a clock that strikes," Ryou pleaded, close to tears. "Yuugi!"

But Yuugi was completely dazed; his hold on Jounouchi's arm had slackened slightly. It couldn't be, there was no way.

Malik snarled and got up. He shook Yuugi by his shoulders and shouted, "Answer us! Do you have a clock that strikes? Do you? Do you!"

Yuugi quickly shook his head, his heart stuck in his throat.

And everyone froze, and waited and listened.

The clear and sweet chimes rang out. The clock from the game shop downtown. It seemed to be coming from above them. It began to strike the hours.

_One_

Ryou whimpered.

_Two_

Bakura snarled and held Ryou tighter.

_Three_

Malik froze. "No way."

_Four_

"Oh God," Anzu whispered, terrified.

_Five_

Honda squeezed his eyes shut.

_Seven_

Jounouchi stopped trying to open the window.

_Eight_

"Here it comes," Mai breathed out.

Time froze for a moment. Giving Yuugi time to think. Now what the boy at the game shop said made sense. See you later – at nine.

_Nine_

And then all the windows shattered, a rushing wind blowing them all away. There was an earthquake beneath their feet that only they could feel. They were stuck in the middle of a hurricane; nothing made sense to them except the pain that was coursing through their bodies. It felt like they were being sucked into space.

Then no one was standing in the living room.

Yuugi awoke on the floor.

He felt disoriented, and he had this strange feeling in his chest that time had passed. The same feeling one would get when they knew that they had slept past their alarm and would be late for school.

Yuugi painfully lifted his head and got up to rest on his forearms. He felt dizzy from that movement alone. The boy noticed that something was off with his living room, he blinked his eyes to clear his vision but that didn't work.

Confused, Yuugi looked around. The plain, cream colored walls of his living room were replaced with a dark patterned wall that was decorated with gaudy gothic decorations. There was an oriental screen in the corner and a gothic revival coffee table in the middle of the room. Heavy velvet curtains obscured the windows. There was a brass candlestick on the wall.

'Where am I?'

Yuugi felt panicked. He didn't know where he was or how he got here. He didn't even know where his friends were.

'Calm down, Yuugi,' he commanded himself. 'Don't panic! Just find your friends and go from there.'

For the first time, Yuugi looked at the floor he was resting on. It was a moss green color that seemed strangely out of place surrounded by all the dark purples and black. He soon found his friends strewn about the room, still unconscious.

Seto was laying on his back with a stoic expression, as usual, even when he was unconscious. Ryou and Bakura were not holding each other like before, now they were laying apart, only their fingertips touching. Anzu laying on her side with her hair falling in front of her face messily. Mai had her long legs sprawled out over by the window. Malik was lying on top of Mai's legs. Honda was crushed under Anzu's legs.

And Jounouchi was sitting up against the wall, his head falling forward and his bangs hiding his closed eyes.

Yuugi crawled over to him and shook his lightly. His head jerked up at being awoken abruptly and he looked around quickly, only to soon be holding his head in pain.

"Jounouchi! Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Jounouchi said, his voice strained. "One hell of a headache." Once he recovered from the pain he turned to his smaller friend, more slowly this time. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure," Yuugi said helplessly. "I know one thing, we're not in my living room anymore."

Jounouchi chuckled. "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

Yuugi smiled and for a moment, he felt like everything would be okay. And then he realized…it wouldn't.

Jounouchi helped Yuugi get up as everyone else picked themselves up.

Mai got to her feet and her body tensed, like she was about to fight someone. She walked closer to Yuugi, her eyes scanning the shadows as she did. Malik rolled onto his side when Mai's legs were taken out from under him. He grumbled but got up as well. Honda threw Anzu's legs off him and got up, helping the girl to her feet. Seto Kaiba got up and brushed himself off, looking around, seemingly unfazed by the unfamiliar surroundings. Ryou and Bakura checked to see if the other was okay and got up, their fingers intertwined.

No one talked, they just looked around stupidly as they tried to make sense of their surroundings.

The gothic revival furniture, the moss green carpeting, it was all so familiar. And Yuugi remembered where he had seen it before. He had seen the carpet on the tagboard when Malik and Bakura were cutting it out. The gothic revival furniture that Anzu had decorated throughout the house.

It all seemed to make sense, it was either that or Yuugi was going crazy.

They were in the paper dollhouse. It had come alive and surrounded them. They were inside it…

Ryou was hysterical. "Oh God, Oh my God, Oh God, God, Oh God…"

Anzu began to giggle.

"Shut up!" Mai shouted. "Both of you just shut up!"

Malik wondered over to the candlestick on the wall and put his fingers to the flame. He made a face to show that he felt the pain and pulled his fingers back quickly. He blew on them and stuck them in his mouth. "It's real," he muttered.

"Of course it's not real!" Kaiba shouted, enraged by the stupidity of it all. "It's just some cheap, knock off version of KaibaCorps computer hologram system! I swear, when I get out of here, I am going to find the one who made this game and sue them for all their worth. No one screws with Seto Kaiba and gets away with it!"

"Oh yeah, hot shot?" Jou snapped. "If this is a game, then where are the helmets or the pods, huh?"

Kaiba crossed his arms and didn't say anymore.

"Okay," Honda began. "We are obviously not in the living room anymore. Maybe someone is playing a sick joke on us. But that doesn't mean we just stand around here and take it."

Mai crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "What do you suggest we do then?"

Honda looked around and felt along the walls. "Me, Jounouchi, Malik, Bakura, and Seto can come with me and scout around. Everyone else can stay behind and keep their eyes open."

Ryou clung to Bakura's arm. "No! Don't leave me!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Mai sighed, and rolled her eyes at Honda.

"You've got a better idea, miss high and mighty?" Honda asked.

"I think we should all stick together. We don't know where we are or what we'll find if you wonder around. What if you can't find your way back and are just wondering around the house forever?" Mai asked.

"So what you're saying is we should just wait around like sitting ducks?" Jounouchi asked, outraged.

"What's the point of sticking together or splitting up?" Seto asked. "It's not like it's really happening. It's fake. We're not here."

"Then where is here?" Ryou asked.

"In the Game," a voice spoke from behind the oriental screen.

Yuugi froze. 'That voice. That deep, baritone voice.'

Every head turn.

A boy stepped out from behind the shadows.

He was just as beautiful as he was in the store. But here, in this dark room, where he was in his element, he looked even more exotic. His skintight leather pants hugged his hips and showed off his long legs. He was wearing a black, leather vest this time that showed off his muscles.

He was smiling.

Ryou sucked in a breath and looked between the mysterious boy and Yuugi. "I-it's him, the paper doll, the-the…"

"The Shadow Man," Mai growled out. Yami winked at Mai like they were old pals. "One of them anyway."

The boy nodded his head, as if agreeing with Mai.

Jounouchi barked out a laugh. All eyes turned towards him, a pair of crimson eyes narrowed. "No, seriously, pull the other one." Jou laughed again. "Who are you really?" Jou asked.

Honey brown met blood red.

The boy smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "You can call me Yami."

'Darkness,' Yuugi thought.

Jounouchi tried to hold back his laughter. "Is that really your name?"

"Watch it, Jounouchi," Mai warned.

Already narrow eyes became slits. "Its as good a name as any."

"Whoever you are, we're not afraid of you!" Malik said stubbornly.

"We want to know what's going on," Jounouchi said, his voice booming.

"We haven't done anything, please, let us go home," Ryou whimpered, hiding himself in Bakura's chest.

Bakura rubbed Ryou's back in a comforting way. "I don't think we can go home," Bakura said sadly, speaking for the first time since they arrived.

Yuugi was the only one who stayed back, afraid to move forward or speak up, not wanting to be recognized.

"At least tell us what we're doing here," Anzu pleaded. Yeah, she thought he was attractive but she was still scared and confused.

Yami shrugged his shoulders. "Playing the Game."

Everyone stared at him.

Yami noticed their stares and held up his hands in a defensive manner. It really irked Jounouchi to no end how this Yami guy was treating their situation so casually. "You agreed to play. You read the rules."

"What? What do you mean play—?" Honda was cut short by Jounouchi holding his hand up.

"Don't talk to him about it Honda," Jounouchi said menacingly.

Yami sighed and shook his head, like he was dealing with a child. "I mean, you all swore to play the game of your own free will and that you knew the Game was real. You invoked the rune of Uruz." Yami brought his finger up and traced an outline of the strang_ U _from the inside of the box in the air with flames that magically appeared from his finger. Yami brushed his hand through the flames and it was reduced to smoke in the air. "You pierced the veil between the worlds."

Honda laughed.

"This is nuts," Seto muttered.

"What's a rune?" Anzu asked.

Mai opened her mouth, then snapped it shut and shook her head sadly.

"It's magic," Yami explained. "A letter from a mystical alphabet, different ones used to serve different purposes. Very tricky business. Basically, don't be messing with it, if you don't understand it."

"We didn't mean to," Ryou whispered to himself. "We didn't know. It's all a mistake," Ryou cried.

Yami shook his head and smirked. "No mistake, every one of you chose to play the game. Now you play until you win…or I do," Yami said with dramatic emphasis.

"But why?" Ryou cried into Bakura's shirt. The usually quiet and shy boy was the one doing most of the talking even though he was hysterical. "What do you want from us?"

Yami smiled. He looked past Ryou. Past all of them. To the boy who was purposefully being quiet and staying back, away from all the confusion. To the boy who hadn't said a word since Yami entered the room.

To Yuugi.

"Every game has a prize," Yami purred.

Jounouchi and Mai both followed Yami's gaze back towards Yuugi who was frozen in place, frightened, wide amethyst eyes full of fear and confusion. Understanding dawned on both the blonds and they both exchanged looks of pure horror.

"No…" Mai breathed out.

"Every game has a prize," Yami repeated, staring at Yuugi like he did in the game shop, like a hungry predator stalking its prey, like staring at something that was just out of reach. "Winner take all."

"No!" Jounouchi cried, launching himself at Yami.

-/-

**Ranko: And cut! That's chapter three, folks! Hope you liked it! Things are really starting to heat up, aren't they? There will be more dark, one-sided puzzleshipping moments later. I will try to be as dark as I can, but that's going to be hard, I'm a fluff writer. I got chills while writing this chapter and it's going to get better when we get to the nightmares (still open for suggestions!) Also, it was so fun to write Ryou in hysterics in this chapter, I love to abuse him.**

**Yami: I must admit that you did a good job Ranko, even though you are going to make me a possessive freak (as we see at the end of this chapter). Also, you updated pretty fast.**

**Ranko: Yep! And you are going to be even creepier in the next chapter! I'm sorry that I didn't introduce Akefia and Marik in this chapter, they are coming! Also, since school is just around the corner, I want to update as much as I can! I should really get back to my Ranma ½ stuff though, but this is just so much fun!**

**Yuugi: (whimpers) What will Yami do to me?**

**Ranko: (smiles evilly) Nothing to bad, he'll be all creepy, touching you and saying how much he _wants_ you, if you get what I'm saying? In a completely loving way!**

**Yuugi: How is that loving?**

**Ranko: Um…please reward me for updating so fast by reviewing!**

**Yuugi: Quit avoiding the subject!**

**Yami: (sighs) This is going to be a _long_ story. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Ranko: Hey guys! So, you want to hear a joke? Well, it starts like—**

**Yuugi: Not now Ranko, you have reviews to answer.**

**Ranko: (excited) What? This is so awesome! Most of my reviewers on my other stories say stuff like, "good chapter" or "update soon".**

**Yami: Relax, it's only two.**

**Ranko: (shrugs) Still cool. Okay, lets get started.**

**Doragon-chan: Yes, Yuugi is Yami's prize if he wins the game, if the group wins they obviously get sent home. The rules to the Game will be elaborated in this chapter.**

**Inspiration's Wonderer: The one sided puzzleshipping will be on Yami's part. Yuugi "hates" Yami in this fanfic, or at least Yuugi wants to hate him.**

**Yuugi: (shakes his head)**

**Yami: Lets just get on with the story.**

-/-

Jounouchi didn't even think before he charged at Yami. He didn't think of the consequences or what this mysterious boy could do to him. All he knew, was that when Yami looked at Yuugi, _his_ Yuugi, like that and he saw the way Yuugi's eyes widen, he only saw red rage.

Jou had his fist raised, ready to beat the boy in black – when suddenly he stopped short. He looked at Yami like he was ten feet tall and not five feet and nine inches. Jou was shaking like a leaf and he slowly took one step back, then another, and then he screamed.

The blond kept on backing away from Yami, but never far enough away. He had his arms raised over his head to protect himself from punches and blows that only he could see coming. But to the group, they only saw Jou backing away, screaming like a mad man.

Jounouchi finally couldn't move any further away and he was forced to his knees. Tears streamed down the blond's face as he continued to protect himself from something only he could see.

And Yami stood there, with his arms crossed, smirking.

Yuugi felt himself shaking with fear for his best friend. He felt tears pool in his eyes and he couldn't stop himself from taking a step towards his friend. "Jou," Yuugi whispered pleadingly.

"Yuugi, no! Don't come any closer!" Jounouchi cried, his arms still over his head, not even looking up at his shorter friend. "They'll get you too!" Jounouchi screamed in pain again, hot tears rolling down his cheeks.

Yuugi started to cry himself. It hurt him watching his best friend like this. His strong, brave, courageous best friend, reduced to a crying, terrified mess. It was so sad to watch, he couldn't stand it. Yuugi felt Mai plant both of her hands on his shoulders.

"Wh-what's happening?" Ryou whimpered, trying to mold himself into Bakura's side at this point.

Yami didn't respond, he just watched on in amusement as the blond cried and screamed and begged for mercy.

"What are you doing to him?" Yuugi commanded in a broken voice.

Yami looked at Yuugi dead in the eye and then at everyone at once. "In the Game you have to face your nightmare. This is just a free sample of Jounouchi's," Yami explained. He shrugged his shoulders and pointedly looked at Yuugi. "No reason for the rest of you be in on it."

Yuugi wouldn't have that. He had protected Jounouchi before, even before they were friends, did this Shadow Creep think that he was just going to sit back and watch this happen to his best friend?

Yuugi shrugged Mai's hands off his shoulder and advanced towards Jounouchi.

"Yuugi, stay back!" Jou cried, his voice frightened.

"Doesn't look like he's conquered it yet," Yami commented.

Yuugi took another step forward until he was kneeling by his friend's side. He didn't feel anything but air. He didn't see anything but Yami's amused smirk. But Jou felt it, and he saw it judging by the terror in his eyes. Jou pulled Yuugi to his chest and protected him with his body from whatever was attacking them both now.

"Jou, stop! There's nothing there! Calm down, its all in your head! Please, Jou," Yuugi pleaded.

If Yuugi had bothered to look he would have seen Yami narrow his eyes dangerously at the blond who was holding Yuugi so close.

"Stay away from him!" Jou commanded the nightmare in a shaky voice, still crying hysterically. "Don't hurt him! Stay back!" Jou was now trying to fight back at his nightmare, only to fail when he screamed again.

Yuugi heard Jou's screams and cries fill his ears; he clung to Jounouchi's shirt and started to sob. And then suddenly, his arms collapsed in on themselves. Yuugi stared at his empty arms in horror and screamed.

He started to shake and wrapped his arms around his body to calm himself. He looked around the room. All his friends – Mai, Jounouchi, Seto, Malik, Ryou, Bakura, Anzu, and Honda – were all gone.

Leaving Yuugi alone in the room with the boy in black.

_Throughout the house ~_

Ryou wondered down an endless hallway on trembling legs, looking around in complete terror. His whole body was shaking as he walked down the hall decorated with floral patterned wallpaper. He called out for his friends, "Bakura! Where are you? Yuugi! Jounouchi! Malik! Where are you? I'm scared!"

Bakura stormed down a hall with a red, diamond patterned wallpaper. "Damn that Shadow Man! Damn him! I swear, when I find him! Ryou, where are you? Anybody?"

Mai stood rooted to her spot in the center of a hall decorated with blue wallpaper with white puffy clouds. "Oh, dear God," she breathed out.

Seto walked leisurely down a hall that looked a lot like the walls in his mansion. He was muttering something under his breath, "Stupid hologram, stupid game, stupid company. Oh man, someone is going to pay."

Malik walked down a dark, dank hall with stonewalls with only the occasional candle on the wall to give him light. It all seemed strangely familiar to him, but with nowhere to go but forward, he didn't have much to contemplate.

Anzu walked down a mirrored hall, her reflection everywhere around her, showing her her every emotion and facial expression. With all the confusion with the mirrors she didn't even know if she was going forward anymore. It reminded her of the dance studio back home.

Honda sat down with his back against a wall that reminded him of the wallpaper that he had in his room when he was five, with racecars all over the wall. "Great, now what am I suppose to do?"

Jounouchi was not in any hall, he was in a room, knocked unconscious, on a hard, stone floor.

_The parlor ~_

"What did you do to my friends?" Yuugi asked Yami with a quivering voice.

Yami smiled whimsically. "They're upstairs, scattered around the house. Waiting for their nightmare, and waiting for you. You will find them as you go through the Game."

"As _I_ go?" Yuugi asked stupidly. "Look, I have no idea what's going—"

"You're the main player in this game you know," Yami interrupted. "You'll find your friends and help them through their nightmares. You see there is a door at the top of the house that leads back to your world. If you get to it, you can go home. And since I'm feeling generous, if you can get your friends with you, all of you can go home." Yami chuckled. "And that is a big_ if_."

Yuugi didn't even register the last sentence; there was still one thing on his mind. "Where's Jounouchi? What did you do to him?"

Yami snarled. "Your precious Jounouchi is at the top," Yami practically spit out that sentence. "I will be giving him my special attention. But don't worry, you will see him when you get there – if you get there," he corrected himself.

"Please, I don't want to play any games," Yuugi said pathetically. It was a surprise to hear those words uttered from his own lips. Yuugi? Not wanting to play a game? "I don't know what's going on, but—,"

"But if you don't there," Yami continued, completely ignoring what Yuugi just said. "And I win, then you have to stay here with me – as mine."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Yuugi asked, terrified at the look in Yami's eyes.

"I mean," Yami spoke slowly, as if speaking to a child. "That you stay here, in my world, with me."

Yuugi stared at the boy standing over him a moment longer, scared out of his mind. Stay here, in this dark place, forever with _him_? When Yuugi first saw Yami in the game shop, he wouldn't mind dating him. But being with Yami forever, possibly as his husband, a mere possession…something replaced Yuugi's fear. That was anger.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Yuugi cried, rising to his feet. He tried to look tall but Yami was a good head taller than him. Yuugi might have lunged at the boy if he didn't hate violence, also remembering what happened to Jounouchi.

Yami narrowed his crimson eyes at the teen. "Careful, Yuugi," he warned.

And Yuugi froze, and fear once again took over. The look in his blood red eyes was so alien, so terrifying, that he couldn't move. At that moment, everything that had happened that night, came crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. He finally realized everything that this boy had done and what he was capable of, and he _believed_. This beautiful, human looking boy, could do magic.

"Oh, God," Yuugi breathed out.

There was a look of smug satisfaction on the boy's face.

Yuugi finally took in the severity of the situation he and his friends were in.

They were playing with the entity of darkness.

"Who are you?" Yuugi asked.

Yami leaned in closer to Yuugi's face until Yuugi could feel his warm breath on his cheeks. "You mean you haven't figured it out yet?"

Yuugi clenched his eyes shut and shook his head.

The warmth left Yuugi's face and the small boy released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. "You will, before the Game is over."

Yuugi tried to get his breathing back under control and remain calm. "Okay, let's just…" Yuugi paused for a moment when he realized something. "Wait, you were at the game store."

Yami nodded his head. His face clean of smugness and mischief, he was completely serious. "I was waiting for you."

"Wow—wait, so this was all…set up?" Yuugi asked, his hysteria climbing. "But why me? Why are you doing this to me?"

Yami smiled, it was not a smirk or a smile full of trickery, but a real smile. And then he said it. The words that made Yuugi's world stop for a moment and then move a little slower. He spoke gravely, but formally.

"I love you."

Yuugi stared at him; his heart had stopped beating and had lodged itself in his throat.

Yami made a small laughing sound. "Surprised? Well you shouldn't be. I first saw you when you were a little boy. You were so cute and pretty. Wherever you went it looked like there was a halo of light around your body. Have you ever heard the tale of Hades and Persephone?" he asked, suddenly changing the subject.

"Wh-what?" Yuugi asked as time seemed to catch up with itself.

"Hades," Yami said again, encouragingly. "The Greek god of the Underworld. The Ruler of the dead. He lived in the world of shadows and he was always so alone. And then one day he looked up to earth's surface and saw a beautiful maiden, Persephone, picking wildflowers in a meadow. Laughing. He instantly fell in love with her. He wanted her to be his queen, but he knew that she wouldn't go with him willingly. So…"

"So?" Yuugi managed to get out.

"So, he hitched his black horses to his chariot and opened the earth's surface beneath Persephone's feet and took her away with him back to the Underworld."

"Nice story," Yuugi said sarcastically. "But it's just a story. There is no Hades and that myth isn't real." Yuugi managed to keep his voice steady.

"Are you sure?" Yami asked, but shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, you are luckier than Persephone, Yuugi. You have a chance to get away. I could just take you…" Yami's eyes glazed over, that idea sounding appealing. "But I'm giving you a chance." Yami's eyes cleared.

Yuugi couldn't move, he couldn't look away from Yami's intoxicating red eyes.

"Who are you?" Yuugi asked again.

"Who do you want me to be?" Yami asked, almost eagerly. He took a step closer to Yuugi. "I love you, Yuugi. I came from the World of Shadows to get you." Yami look another step forward, his hand hovered just over Yuugi's cheek. "I can be anything you want, give you anything you want. "Do you like jewels? Amethyst to match your eyes? Diamonds?" Yami asked eagerly, willing to give anything to Yuugi to make him happy, to grace him with a beautiful smile, only for him.

Yami moved his hand down to Yuugi's neck, not quite touching, fingers outspread. "Clothes? New outfits for every hour of the day? Games from different countries? Pets from far off places? You can travel all over the world. Anything, Yuugi. Just imagine."

Yuugi covered his face with his hands and shook his head. "You're crazy. _This_ is crazy."

"I can make your wildest dreams come true. Literally. Ask for something, anything, you thought you could never have. Quick; I may not make this offer again."

Yuugi was almost sobbing at this point. His voice was so soft and pleading, so different than all the other times he has heard him speak. Yuugi had a terrifying desire to collapse in his arms.

"_Now_, Yuugi, while we're still friends," Yami said in a warning tone. "Things won't be so pleasant later in the Game. I don't want to hurt you, Yuugi, I really don't. But if that's what it comes down to, then I will have no choice. Save yourself the pain and bother, and let me make you happy now. Give in, Yuugi. It's going to happen eventually," Yami said with a confident smirk.

The desire to fall into Yami's arm vanished and Yuugi narrowed his eyes and tried to look threatening. "Oh, really?"

"I never lose."

Yuugi had to resist the urge to snort. He was the King of Games, he never lost a game of any kind, this one was no exception. "I've got some bad news for you," Yuugi said with an edge to his voice. Yami raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Neither do I. I will never give into you. I'll die first."

Yami narrowed his eyes and the sudden burst of confidence Yuugi had was quickly slipping away at that look. "I hope it doesn't come to that, but other things may happen when the Game starts. I can't change the rules. Your friends may suffer."

"What? How?" Yuugi asked, worried for his friends' safety.

Yami shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Yuugi, don't you understand what's going on? They're all playing the Game. They agreed to take the risk. Now they have to pay the price."

Yuugi stood there for a moment, dumbstruck, trying to take in all the information. Then he literally jumped like a giant static electricity shock went through his body.

"No—wait!"

"Too late, Yuugi," Yami said, almost apologetically. "I gave you a chance and you refused it. From now on, we're all playing the Game."

"But—,"

"You can start with this riddle," Yami said, cutting him off. He recited:

"_I am just two and two. I am hot. I am cold._

_I'm the parent of numbers that cannot be told_

_I'm a gift beyond measure, a matter of course,_

_And I'm yielded by pleasure – when taken by force."_

Yuugi gave Yami a half serious expression. "That tells me who you are."

Yami smiled humorlessly. "No, that tells what I want from you. If you give me the answer, then I'll let one of your friends go.

Yuugi shook his head. "No, we're not going to take the easy way out. We're going to beat this game without your help and get back home."

Yami crossed his arms and smirked at Yuugi. "Alright then, but when you change your mind, just know that I'll be awaiting the answer."

Yuugi nodded his head and shoved the riddle to the back of his mind to think about it later.

"Alright then," Yami said with an air of finality. "That's all. Let the Game begin. You and your friends will be meeting by brothers as you go through the house. Also, if you get hurt in this Game, you get hurt for real. So if you die, you're done. And I can tell you right now, that one of you probably won't make it."

Yuugi's head shot up. "Who?"

"That would be telling. One of you just won't have the strength to face their nightmare. By the way, did I mention the time limit? You have until dawn, which is exactly at six-eleven, before the door at the turret at the top closes. All of you will be stuck here forever. So I wouldn't waste my time, if I were you. Here's a little reminder," Yami said as a clock chimed and struck ten.

Yuugi turned towards the sound and when he turned back around, Yami was gone.

Yuugi took a deep breath and released it slowly. Now that Yami was gone he could think clearly, but with the boy gone, Yuugi was all alone and that was what scared Yuugi. He was alone in the horror house with a nightmare behind every closed door. He no longer had the boy in black to distract him and keep him company, as bad as the company was.

So yes, Yuugi was scared. He considered the idea of sitting down at the parlor table and wait there till dawn. Stay out of the danger, where he knew he was safe…-ish.

Yuugi quickly shook his head. He couldn't do that. His friends were relying on him, he had his grandfather back home that would worry about him. He was the King of Games and he did not quit when things got tough. But most importantly, he couldn't let Yami win.

With a determined nod, Yuugi went over to the window to see what the outside was like, maybe it was just a black void or maybe it was like any other yard. It could help him. But no, what Yuugi saw was horrific. Outside was an endless wasteland of black. There was a purple fog that was lying over the land and thankfully was concealing the creatures lurking in the shadows. But Yuugi could still hear the moans and shrieks.

Yuugi quickly drew the curtains together tight. So, nothing outside would help Yuugi or his friends.

Yuugi really missed his friends at that moment. He needed to find them. Yami had told him everyone was depending on Yuugi, and he would not let them down. Especially Jounouchi, he had been there countless times for Yuugi, it was time to repay the favor.

After Yuugi had calmed down, he wondered around the first floor. Yami had told him his friends were upstairs. Yuugi tried to remember the layout of the paper house and after a few wrong turns and miscalculations, he found a flight of stairs leading up.

Yuugi looked up the stairs and gulped. It was a wide set of stairs that was carpeted down the middle and as it got higher, the stairs disappeared into the shadows. Yuugi put one foot on the carpeted step and froze.

'I can always run now and find some other way home,' he thought for a second and then shook his head wildly to clear those thoughts, ashamed he even thought that.

Yuugi took in a shaky breath and ascended the stairs.

The hallway on the second floor seemed to stretch on forever in one direction. There were candles in brass candleholders on the wall that saved Yuugi from being trapped in total darkness. Yuugi felt like he was in an old cartoon, where the characters would run past the same backdrop over and over again.

The halls strangely reminded Yuugi of the hallways in the Haunted Mansion ride in Disneyland.

But that was ridiculous. Why would the halls look like that?

Somewhere ahead, Yuugi heard a familiar grunting noise and loud curses. Yuugi's eyes widened when he recognized that voice. He ran down the hall and slowed as he neared the source of the noise.

"Malik?"

The Egyptian barely acknowledged Yuugi as the shorter boy neared him. He was currently wrestling with a door that bulged in the center, expanding and relaxing, just like the one in the Haunted Mansion attraction. It was like the door was bending under a tremendous weight leaning against it, deforming the wood. Guttural growls were heard from the other side.

The only difference between the Haunted Mansion door and this door was that this one was opened slightly.

Malik's tall, lean body was braced against the door, pushing it back with great effort, sweat rolling down his temple. He had one leg back, pushing, knees bent.

Without a word, Yuugi rushed over to help and got in a similar position as Malik, pushing with all his strength, which wasn't much. Malik had his hand positioned on the doorknob with a large keyhole in it, the key resting in its rightful place.

"Push," the blond commanded.

Yuugi leaned harder, throwing all his weight into it, which, again, was not much. Malik's body was stretched taut beside Yuugi's. The door bulged and pushed back with greater force than before. The snarling sound became more menacing. Yuugi felt his muscles begin to tremble. He put his head down and clenched his teeth.

"Push!"

The door yielded and closed. Malik's hand shot out to the key and locked it, making a small _click_.

The door wasn't bulging anymore.

Yuugi stumbled back to the opposite wall and leaned heavily against it. His legs felt boneless and he slid down to the floor, collapsing with a grateful sigh. Malik was huffing and looked at the door, as if challenging it to start bulging again. The taller boy sighed and leaned against the door, wiping the sweat from his brow, his legs wobbling and his muscles slightly stiff.

"Hi," Yuugi said weakly, still tired and drained of energy.

Malik ran a hand through his hair, fingers trembling. "Hey."

There was silence between them, the only sound was huffing and harsh breathing as they tried to regain their breath.

Yuugi sucked in a breath and felt a little dizzy. "So have you seen the others?"

Malik shook his head weakly.

"Me, either. He said…you know—?" Yuugi paused and looked at Malik; Malik nodded his head. "He said you guys were scattered all around the house. Waiting for your nightmares. Were you in there?" Yuugi asked, gesturing to the closed door.

Malik looked over his shoulder at the door he was still leaning against. "No. I was watching Jou in the parlor when suddenly I was in this hallway." Malik looked around and his eyes widened in surprise. "Only, it was different, it was dark, but that doesn't matter. Anyway, this was the only door that I could see and I was wondering what was behind it and…yeah, I think you know how the rest goes."

Yuugi nodded his head. "Did you see what was inside?"

Malik shuddered. "Just an ugly as _hell_ monster." Yuugi shuddered as well, if it had freaked Malik out it must have been bad. "Anyway, we should probably look around and find the others," Malik said, pushing off the door and holding a hand out to help Yuugi up.

Yuugi gratefully took the hand and rose to his feet. His legs still felt weird but he could walk just fine. "Yeah." Yuugi placed his hands on his hips and looked down the hall. "Wait, you said that was the only door you saw," Yuugi stated, pointing to the door Malik had been leaning against.

"Yeah?"

"So what's that?" Yuugi asked, pointing a little way down the hall in the direction Yuugi had been going.

"Oh, shit, that wasn't there before."

The two boys walked a little way down the hall and stood in front of this new door. "What do you think is behind it?" Yuugi asked.

Malik smiled deviously. "Lets see," he said, grabbing for the knob.

Yuugi's hand shot out and grabbed Malik's wrist. "Wait, you lunatic! What if there is another monster behind this door?" Yuugi released his friend's tan wrist.

Malik snapped his fingers. "You're right, we should be prepare to shut it fast if there is something ugly behind that door. You open the door when I tell you and I'll kick it shut fast if there is anything behind it." Malik backed up and raised his leg, ready to kick the door with a barbaric grin.

Yuugi rolled his eyes and turned the doorknob, ready to throw it open on command.

"Now!" Malik yelled, and Yuugi flung the door open.

-/-

**Ranko: So tired…why am I up this late?**

**Yuugi: Because you want to update at least every other day before school starts. **

**Ranko: But that is going to be so hard with the nightmares coming up soon! I'm still stuck with a few characters, like Honda!**

**Yami: Stop whining!**

**Ranko: Why don't you write an entire chapter in one night and then say that to me?**

**Yami: You want to fight?**

**Yuugi: Stop! Ranko, don't you have something to say to your readers?**

**Ranko: Oh yeah! Thanks for reminding me, Yuugi! Can you guess what Yami's riddle is? If you think you know then leave it in your review! I know the answer, but do you? Happy solving!**

**Yuugi: Next chapter will be Malik's nightmare!**

**Ranko: Review please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ranko: Hello everyone, Ranko twin here.**

**Yami: Wow, that was kinda…formal.**

**Yuugi: Are you alright, Ranko?**

**Ranko: I'm sad. School is starting up again soon and one of my best friends is going off to college.**

**Yuugi: (hugs Ranko) It's going to be okay, Ranko. You still have us!**

**Ranko: (happy again) Oh yeah!**

**Yami: (sighs) Ranko twin does not own the Forbidden Game series or Yu-Gi-Oh.**

**Ranko: What's wrong with you?**

**Yami: Someone (looks at Ranko) ruined the Forbidden Game books for me.**

**Ranko: That was an accident! You were the one who wanted to discuss the plot so bad! And it's not my fault that Julian (Yami)—!**

**Yuugi: (slaps hand over Ranko's mouth) Enjoy! **

-/-

Ryou wondered down the same hall with the same floral printed wallpaper. It was never ending and it looked like this hall would stretch on forever. He wasn't hysterical or scared out of his wits at the moment, he was more jumpy than anything else. His legs were burning from walking for so long, he didn't know if he had only been walking for a few minutes or a few hours.

He wanted to sit down and rest for a little while, hopefully someone would eventually find him. But he was afraid that if he stopped, he would look down the hall and find some psychotic killer running towards him. The thought made the boy shudder and walk a little faster.

Ryou wasn't usually the person who complained a lot but in this situation, he couldn't help it. There was no air circulating in this place and there was no end in sight to this dumb hall, at this point he didn't care if he ran into a dead end. There was no telling what was hiding in the shadows, or what could jump out at him. He was tired and thirsty and he really, really wanted Bakura. He had promised to protect him.

Ryou felt his eyes burn with tears at the thought of his lover; he could be in trouble or, God forbid, hurt. He whimpered pathetically and stopped dead in his tracks. "Bakura," he sniffled, rubbing his teary eyes.

Footsteps. They were coming towards him.

Ryou jumped and twisted around to look. No one was behind him. They were coming from the direction Ryou had been heading. Ryou turned back around as the footsteps grew louder in the quiet hall.

Ryou stopped breathing. He should run. He should turn around and look for help instead of taking the risk of facing what was coming towards him. But his body was frozen in terror.

And then he could make out that the person was a boy in the dull candlelight. The upper part of the boy's body was hidden in the shadows but something on his head caught the light. Pure white, spiky hair.

Ryou felt fresh tears fill his eyes and he smiled in relief. He ran the rest of the way to meet the boy with white hair that he was so afraid of earlier. He flung himself into the boy's awaiting arms and circled his arms around the boy's powerful, tan neck.

"Bakura!"

Wait, tan? Ryou blinked away the tears and saw that he had been crying into a tan chest dressed in a red leather shirt. The arms encircling his waist were powerful and strong, not gentle and caring like they were when Bakura held him. Ryou's eyes traveled further up to the stranger's neck where Ryou's arms were around him. And then further up to a pair of reddish brown eyes staring down at Ryou in amusement.

There was a scar running down his left eye.

Ryou could feel the laughter vibrate in the stranger's chest. He tried to back away but his arms were too strong.

"Not quite, kitten."

_Elsewhere ~_

Yuugi didn't know what to expect when he threw open the door. Maybe there would be one of those creepy cartoon characters that scared children. Or maybe an ugly, slimy monster with sharp fangs dripping with blood. Hell, there could have been a sign in the center of the room that read: PHYSCE!

But there were none of those things when Yuugi opened the door. Instead, when Yuugi opened the door, the two boys with greeted with the sight of the inside of the Domino Museum.

Malik lowered his leg and stared dumbfounded at what was on the other side of the door. He took a step forward, exchanged a look with Yuugi, shrugged and went inside.

"Wait, Malik!" Yuugi cried, but the tan teen was already exploring the foyer of the museum. Yuugi looked up and down the hall, took a deep breath and followed Malik inside. Yuugi had only taken one step inside the museum when the door slammed shut behind him and disappeared. Yuugi whirled around and saw the same grand entrance to the museum, only without a door. Malik hadn't seemed to notice yet, still wondering around.

"Great," Yuugi said, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Now we're trapped."

Malik studied the displays carefully and ran his hand across the marble wall. "It's exactly alike to the Domino Museum back home. See, there are scuffmarks on the floor and everything. If it's an exact replica then there must be another way out. Come on, let's go." Without waiting for a response, Malik started walking briskly down a shadowed, empty corridor leading further into the museum.

Yuugi still stood near the entrance, mouth hanging open and speechless. When the boy regained his senses, he quickly ran to catch up with Malik who was quickly disappearing into the shadows. The blond did not even slow his long strides so Yuugi could keep up on his short legs; he was practically jogging next to Malik.

The two boys checked every crack, every door, every window for some way out of this mystery, creepy place. But everything was locked or shut tight, making it impossible to open anything. They even tried to break open the windows and walls with some warrior weapons they found on display, but that proved to be for naught.

Yuugi was constantly looking over his shoulder and jumping every time their footsteps echoed through the corridors and large, empty display rooms. It was so ominous without all the tours, all the children screaming and yelling, and all the tourists admiring the displays.

It was quiet and it freaked the living hell out of Yuugi.

But Malik was walking confidently and looking ahead with a stoic expression, like he had walked down these halls alone too many times.

Even after checking the secluded and secret exits and entrances, there was no way out. Malik threw his hands up in defeat and stuffed them back in his pockets before leisurely walking back to his sister's office and plopping down on her desk chair, propping his feet up on the desk.

"That's it, I give up." He then proceeded to rifle through his sister's drawers, appearing to be looking for something.

Yuugi perched himself on the edge of the desk. "Listen, that guy said that we had to face our nightmare. So this must be—"

"What else did he say?" Malik asked quickly, cutting him off. He was still looking through his sister's cluttered paper work that was stuffed in drawers, some papers and files sticking out, and piled messily on her desk. "Who is this whacko supposed to be, anyway?"

Yuugi hesitated before asking, "Do you believe in the devil?"

Malik looked up from his fruitless search and wrinkled his nose at Yuugi. "You know that the only devil I know is Anubis."

Yuugi put a finger to his chin in thought. "I think he wanted me to believe he was the devil," Yuugi said more to himself than to Malik. The shorter boy shrugged helplessly. "But I don't know."

Malik took a break from his search and leaned his elbows on a spot clear of papers, but his eyes flickered to the door occasionally. "And he wanted us to play this Game? Like the one in the box, only for real?"

Yuugi nodded. "If we get to the turret by dawn, we can go back home. But if we don't, he wins." There was a heavy silence between the two. The consequences were obvious if they lost. "Aren't you scared?" Yuugi suddenly asked.

Malik shook his head and snorted. "Of this bullshit? Not even. What's to be scared of? I'm not going to let these big, bad Shadow Men scare me. I'm gonna beat them, just you wait."

Yuugi felt a shift in the air and he rubbed his arms with his hands to create friction. "But this is all so…so crazy. I mean, everyday, something bad happens in the world. Something terrible affects someone's life. Like, you always think, 'sure there are strange things out in the dark'. But…" Yuugi trails off and shivers. "You never think it could happen to you."

A closed closet door. Strange burning symbols. Opening the door. Voices. Red eyes blinking at you. Screaming. Blood. Fear. Guilt. Confusion. Crying. And then black. The closet door closing. Blank.

Malik tried to interrupt Yuugi but the boy rushed on.

"And then when it does happen to you, everything changes and everything's different and it isn't possible but it's still happening." Yuugi pressed his lips together tightly, creating a thin line, and looked down at the Oriental rug covering the tiled floor.

A long silence stretched on between the two friends.

Malik was the one who spoke first. He smirked and leaned back in the chair. "You're right. Everything is happening, that means all the rules have changed. And we have to adapt to them quickly if we don't want to lose. Eat or be eaten."

"But—"

"But nothing, Yuugi," Malik said in a calm but stern voice. He rose up from his seat and leaned his hands on the desk. "You wanna know what the problem is? You think too much. Stop over thinking it. There's no point in talking about it now. Now, what we have to worry about it surviving." Malik huffed and crossed his arms, falling back into the chair.

Yuugi sighed and looked at Malik, casually leaning back in his sister's office chair not worried or scared in the slightest. Although, his eyes occasionally flickered to the door and he would rifle through some envelopes every now and then.

And here Yuugi was, jumpy and skittish. He was always so afraid. Why did he have to be so weak? Why couldn't he be more like Jounouchi, or Malik, or Bakura? He was such a weakling. Why did Yami like him anyway?

Yuugi blushed a furious shade of red and tried to hide his blush from his friend who was nonchalantly cleaning his fingernails.

When did Yuugi start caring what Yami thought? Why did he care why Yami loved him or not? He _didn't_ care. Right? No! He didn't care, he didn't care, he didn't care!

He. Didn't. Care!

"Yo, Yuugi? You alright?" Malik asked when he saw the smaller boy shake his head hard enough to give himself a whiplash.

"Huh?" Yuugi asked, looking up from his hands where he was previously hiding his face in. "Oh, uh, yeah, I'm all right. So," Yuugi cleared his throat. "We adapt. Eat or be eaten. Gotcha!"

Malik nodded his head slowly and looked at Yuugi warily. "Yeah." After another few moments of silence, Malik flashed a brilliant, bordering on mad, smile. "But you have to admit, this is kind of fun. Don't you think?"

Yuugi couldn't help but laugh at his friend who would rather chase after danger than wait for it to find him. He abruptly stopped when he remembered Jounouchi cowering away from his nightmare. It made Yuugi's chest ache remembering how his strong, best friend cried and broke down in front of everyone. His screams of terror and desperate cries still rang through his ears. Yuugi shivered and hugged his body. "Something must scare you," Yuugi said without question. "You drew a nightmare."

Malik looked up at Yuugi, something in his violet eyes flashed, a look of uncertainty; he hesitated before answering. "My sister scares me." Yuugi gave his friend a look. Malik held his hands in front of him in a defensive manner. "Really; this stuff in the museum, the history, the exhibits, the failures and past mistakes in their meaning just gives me a weird feeling."

Yuugi didn't look convinced. "You're afraid of history, of the past?"

Malik nodded. "I don't like to dwell on the past, it gives me no control of the future. I don't like the feeling of, of having no control. It makes me feel weak."

Yuugi could tell from the look in Malik's eyes that what he just told him was not his nightmare. But the look of vulnerability in Malik's eyes was so different, almost scary. Just like when he saw Jounouchi crumple to the floor in fear towards his invisible nightmare. Yuugi knew Malik to be a serious, one-sided guy who liked to wreak havoc with Bakura; but here he was with his defenses pouring his heart out to Yuugi.

"That's why I don't want to go to college," Malik said after Yuugi never responded.

Yuugi shook his head to clear his thoughts and smile. "Ishizu would slap you. And your brain ability is equal to your—"

Yuugi was cut short when he heard the sound of footsteps bouncing off the walls, echoing down the halls, clicking on the smooth tile floor. Yuugi froze and grew stiff as a board. His heart stopped working for a moment and he had to remind himself to breath.

In...Out...In...Out...

He hated how his heart rate was equal to the footsteps in the museum. Whoever was out there, wondering the empty halls, looking for something, or someone, seemed to be following the same path Yuugi and Malik traveled, getting very close.

Yuugi's heart rate picked up and he almost swallowed his tongue.

Malik was just as shocked? Frightened? As Yuugi was. His fingers were clenched in a tight fist and the double joint in his right pointer finger was throbbing painfully.

"Malik," Yuugi breathed out, afraid to make any noise. But Malik heard it, and it might have been Yuugi's imagination, but the footsteps halted half a second before continuing. "What did you draw?"

"I didn't think it would actually happen."

"_Malik_, what did you draw?" Yuugi asked again, his voice rising slightly.

"They weren't supposed to find us. They were never supposed to find us," Malik breathed out, staring, unblinking at the open doorway.

"Who was never supposed to find you?" Yuugi cried, tears pooling in his eyes. He didn't care about being quiet when the footsteps were so close. "What's happening, Malik?"

But before Malik could even draw in a breath to answer, at least ten figures clad in black robes, the hoods discreetly pulled over their faces, filed into the room. The ends of the cloaks gliding across the floor, giving the illusion that they weren't even walking. A figure in the middle rose one of its deformed, human hand and in its bony fingers was a stun gun.

Yuugi screamed and the trigger was pulled, sinking the electrical wire into his knock and sending an electrical shock coursing through his veins, up his nervous system, and then knocking him out cold. He registered Malik screaming as well, Yuugi heard a thumb and could imagine Malik's limp body collapsing on the desk, sending papers fluttering down like leaves on a fall day.

Yuugi's whole body felt slack and his mind was sluggish, unable to comprehend anything around him. But he did recognize a scarred, twisted hand reaching out to grab him.

He clung to consciousness but it was quickly slipping away like an oil slick rod. He felt his body twitch from the electricity when he was hit by the stun gun.

Yuugi felt knotted, lumpy skin make contact with his own smooth skin and he cringed.

Blackness crept into his vision and saw one of the figures slung a limp Malik over their shoulder.

'Please, don't touch me,' he thought.

Then he slipped away.

_Elsewhere ~_

Ryou's eyes widened with horror and he struggled in the stranger's form grip. He could feel the bruises forming on his sides where this boy was firmly holding him. But not just any boy, no, Ryou recognized him. He was one of the Shadow Men.

The Shadow Man threw his hand back in laughter as Ryou continued to struggle, when he knew it was hopeless.

'It sounds so much like Bakura's laugh,' Ryou thought. 'But this isn't Bakura!' Ryou reminded himself. 'Bakura would never do this!'

"No! Let me go! Let me go!" Ryou started to yell which only made the Shadow Man laugh harder. Ryou felt a bad chill run down his spine at the sound. What would this creep do to him? What did he want with Ryou?

But surprisingly, that wasn't what Ryou was thinking. He was thinking, 'What would Bakura say if he saw me like this? What would he think?' The thought made Ryou want to cry and it only fueled his need to escape.

"Woah! Calm down, Kitten! You're a feisty one," the Shadow Men said, amusement evident in his voice. He had one corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk, but not s smirk, it was too genuine. Just like Bakura's smile. Ryou shook his head to clear those thoughts.

"Let me go!" Ryou cried, stomping on the boy's foot weakly.

The Shadow Man's reddish brown eyes, like clay, glittered with amusement at Ryou's weak attempts.

"You sure are a cute little thing," the boy (no, a man, Ryou realized) purred, leaning in closer. "I think I just might keep you." Ryou could feel this stranger's breath on his face. He spelt of exotic spices and mint.

Ryou clenched his eyes shut and leaned away from the man as much as he could in his captivity.

"I'm sure Yami wouldn't mind," the man breathed out, a whisper away from Ryou.

"Akefia!" a baritone voice called; it was strangely familiar to Ryou.

The man, now known as Akefia, groaned. "What?" he snapped. His head snapped up, and Ryou could breath properly again, but he was still in Akefia's tan, strong arms.

Ryou opened his eyes and looked in the direction the voice had come from. There, standing in the middle of the hall with his arms crossed, was the boy from the foyer. Yami was his name? And the blond Shadow Man from the game that looked like Malik stood behind Yami, snickering like a mad man, his canine teeth visibly and his pointy hair looking deadly.

Ryou's attention went back to the Shadow Man that looked like Yuugi (Yami, he reminded himself). His ruby eyes were narrowed into slits and by the look on his face, he did not look amused by Akefia's actions.

"You know the rules," Yami said, low and threatening. "Leave the boy alone."

Akefia pouted and just like that, he released Ryou. The smaller boy almost fell down on his bottom from the sudden lack of support. Akefia crossed his arms and glided gracefully over to Yami. "You're no fun, can't you just bend the rules a little bit?"

"No," Yami snapped without missing a beat. "The Game has already started, we can't just change the rules in the middle, that would be cheating."

Akefia looked generally surprised. "Since when have you ever cared about—?" Akefia stopped himself when realization struck him. "Oh, it's that little brat, ain't it?" Akefia asked.

"Piss off," Yami growled out.

Akefia smiled. "I'll take that as a yes." He looked over his shoulder at Ryou who had been standing there the whole time. "See you later, Kitten." He winked and wondered off if the spiky haired teen.

Yami was left alone in the hall with Ryou. "Th-thanks for helping me…" Ryou didn't really know what to say to this guy. He had dragged them into this freakish game and separated him from his friends, what was one supposed to say to someone like that?

Yami growled low in his throat and switched his glare to Ryou. "I don't like you, I don't like any of you. I didn't help you because I wanted to; it was because I had to. And what just happened here doesn't mean you will be getting my help again. So leave and play the Game." And with that said, Yami disappeared.

Ryou was shivering like a leaf after that encounter. He just stood there in the empty hall. Hoping, wishing, a certain white haired teen would come and comfort him.

_Elsewhere ~_

The place was dank and dark. The air was moist and cool and water dripped from crevices in the stone. It was so cold, Yuugi knew that much. He also knew that he was in some dark room, only lit by one candle. He was lying on his belly, his shirt had mysteriously disappeared and his arms and legs were trapped but because of his position he couldn't see them. He was lying on a stone slab that was only covered by a thin sheet and a flat pillow to lay his head on.

"I didn't think it would ever happen," Yuugi heard to his left. He awkwardly moved his head and Malik laying in a similar state as Yuugi. "They were never supposed to find us. This was never supposed to happen."

"What? Malik? Is this your nightmare?" Yuugi asked weakly, his throat scratchy and raw.

Malik nodded mutely. "I never told you guys, I never told anyone before. Before I was born, my family was apart of some sort of clan, an occult, in Egypt. They lived underground, under the sands of Egypt, and marked their skin and deformed their bodies. They hated the Pharaohs of every generation; they defiled his name and went against his sacred laws. When I was born and after my mother died, Ishizu and my older step brother escaped the land of Egypt, away from the cult, and away from out father. But we always knew that the Council was upset that we left and we knew that they would track us down. But before my brother died he assured us that they wouldn't look. He promised."

Yuugi swallowed hard; they had to get out of here. "How are we going to get out of here?"

"You don't," a scratchy voice said from behind the two boys; it was like nails running down a chalkboard.

Yuugi couldn't see who had spoken but then again, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Someone was walking towards the two. Closer. Closer. Closer. The person was standing right in front of Malik and Yuugi could see the person properly. This man, he could only guess, had a balding head with tufts of gray hair poking out at random places from his scalp. His eyes were permanently squinted shut and he had ugly scars and burn marks around his eyes. His face was scrunched up, like the skin had been pulled tight towards the center of his face. Tattoos were inked on to any visible patch of skin Yuugi could see.

It was disgusting.

"Malik Ishtar," the deformed human being spoke. "You have violated our laws and have escaped to the Upperland. You have left alive with the knowledge of our clan. And now, you must pay the price."

Malik was whimpering and weeping, tears soaking the thin pillow.

"Brother?" the man by Malik spoke to someone Yuugi could not see. Suddenly a boy that looked about Malik's age walked into view. His skin was pulled taut over his bones and his eyes looked hollow. Tattoos covered his baldhead and neck. The boy pulled out something from his robes and handed it to the older man.

A dagger.

"Oh God! Please, no!" Malik nearly screeched, still crying.

"Prepare him," the man ordered and other ugly and twisted men started gathering around Malik, chanting around him in Ancient Egyptian. One man produced a leather whip and soaked it in some kind of liquid. Before Yuugi knew what was happening, the man with the whip started attacking Malik with it.

Malik screamed as the soaked whip came in contact with his skin. The man whipped him four times, leaving a star shaped wound on his back. Surprisingly, it wasn't bleeding, the skin was just raw, it must had been the liquid.

The men continued to chant around Malik as Yuugi just watched.

The man with the dagger held the tip over the candle flame, heating it until it glowed red.

Malik's body wracked with sobs.

The man with the heated dagger walked over to Malik and started to chant a long with the other men, holding the dagger an inch above Malik's skin, slowly lowering it.

"No!" Yuugi screamed. "Leave him alone!" He started to wiggle and rock on the bed until he fell off onto his back. He hit the back of his head on the stone floor and winced in pain. He stayed where he was at, pretending to be unconscious. From his experience with bullies, he knew they lost interest when their toy was not reacting.

The men's heads snapped up and their hollow eyes narrowed at Yuugi.

"The Ritual has been disturbed! Quick, Brothers! We must start again soon before we lose our chosen hour!" The one with the dagger cried. He hustled out of the room, the other men followed.

When Yuugi was sure they were gone, he quickly sat up and struggled to his feet. His hands had been tied in front of him so he had been laying on them. He loosened them and then sawed them off with a jagged rock they were going to use to do God knows what. After that was done, he rushed over to Malik who was still weeping; he hadn't even realized that the men had gone.

"Malik, come on! We have to leave quickly! They could be back in any minute!" Yuugi urged, his heart beating wildly inside his chest. When Malik didn't respond Yuugi carefully helped him sit up without disturbing his injuries and cut the bonds.

"Come on, Malik! We have to find a way out of here!" Yuugi said, helping Malik off the stone slab and wrapping the cloth around his shoulders. Yuugi took his friend's hand and snuck them out of the room, looking up and down the corridor.

He tiptoed as fast as he could, trying to silence Malik who was starting to hiccup from crying so hard. Yuugi didn't know where he was going but he knew that if he stayed in that room any longer, they would both die. So he continued blindly down the corridor, hoping he was going in the right direction.

"The prisoners are escaping!" a gruff voice yelled from behind the two.

Yuugi didn't even turn around, he just took off running, Malik still in tow. When the taller boy snapped out of his daze, he started to pick up the pace and ran slightly ahead of Yuugi, the sheet billowing behind him like a cape.

They heard shouts and feet pounding against the stone floor coming from behind them. Yuugi and Malik leaned their upper bodies forward, running faster.

"Do you know where you're going?" Malik asked.

"Um, not really."

"Great!"

Yuugi quickly looked over his shoulder and gulped. "Their gaining on us!"

Malik cursed and looked over his shoulder to check too. When he looked ahead again, his eyes widened. "Yuugi! There's a door up ahead!"

"Do you really think that's safe?"

Malik looked over his shoulder again and glared at Yuugi. "Got any other ideas?"

"Ready?" Malik asked; Yuugi nodded. "Let's go!" The two boys threw all their weight against the door and…

They stumbled out into the hall that looked like the same hall from the Haunted Mansion ride in Disneyland. The hall they had been in before they opened the door to Malik's nightmare.

The door slammed shut behind them in the twisted faces of those occult members. The doorknob disappeared and the door seemed to sink into the wall, leaving behind a blank space.

A piece of waxy paper fluttered down from nowhere and landed by their feet. It was a picture of tall, gangly figures in black robes, with strange markings draw on their face with colored pencils.

An unseen clock struck eleven.

-/-

**Ranko: And there is chapter 5! I hope I didn't disappoint with Malik's nightmare. I tried to make it as creepy as I possible could (just like the original book). Thanks to Kyo lover with little sanity for the suggestion.**

**Yami: It took you awhile to post this chapter. What took you so long?**

**Ranko: Hm…hold on, let me look through my box of excuses. "I was being lazy", "I was reading fanfiction", "I was at band camp". You need anymore.**

**Yuugi: Anyway, we really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Ranko worked hard on it for you guys since this genre of story is not exactly her forte and it's been difficult. Please review and tell us what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ranko: Hey guys! So school is starting soon and I am dreading it! So what am I going to do until school starts? I am going to stay up until 3 am and work on this story for my lovely readers.**

**Yuugi: No! You aren't!**

**Ranko: (crosses her arms) I was just kidding…**

**Yami: (hugs Yuugi from behind) Let the stupid authoress work herself to death, Yuugi.**

**Ranko: I sense a great annoyance coming from you. Are you still bitter about me making you an evil character?**

**Yami: (grumbles)**

**Yuugi: (sighs) Ranko twin does not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the Forbidden Game series, she does not make a profit from this story, it's just for fun!**

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

The hall stretched on in both directions. The staircase had disappeared and even the bulging, monster door was gone. The hall was constantly changing.

Malik noticed this. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as the two friends walked down a random direction. He craned his neck around and back to take in a good look of the hall. "It's changed. It keeps changing—why?" He shook his head and his sandy blond bangs fell in front of his eyes boyishly. "Who knows if we're even going in the right direction? We should separate."

Yuugi opened his mouth to protest—but then snapped it shut. It was a good idea to split up, and he would be able to handle a _hallway_ by himself after what they went through in Malik's nightmare. Yuugi nodded his head and took off in the opposite direction, losing sight of Malik almost immediately.

At this point in the Game, it seemed almost normal to be walking down a dark, dimly lit hallway that looked like it came straight out of a horror movie. 'I guess you can adjust to anything,' Yuugi thought, running his hand down the smooth wallpaper as he walked.

The tiny flames of the candles went on endlessly ahead, like a path of stars. Large shadows bounced off the walls from the tiny flames and darkness loomed ahead of him, waiting for him to walk into it, his only reassurance being the small, flickering flames.

As Yuugi stopped under one to rest, he thought of that riddle that he had pushed to the back of his mind earlier. Yami said that if he could solve it then he could set one of his friends free. He had told Yami that he wouldn't need to do that, but after what Yuugi witnessed from Malik's nightmare, he would do anything to save one of his friends.

_I am just two and two. I am hot. I am cold._

_I'm a parent of numbers that cannot be told._

_I'm a gift beyond measure, a matter of course._

_And I'm yielded with pleasure—when taken by force._

'Yep,' Yuugi thought. 'Still think it sounds like Yami.' Yuugi shook his head and closed his eyes in concentration. 'Be serious, Yuugi, think! What could it mean? Two and two? Hot and cold? It's probably something childishly simple.'

"How do you like the Game so far?" a deep baritone voice asked that sent shivers up Yuugi's spine.

The small boy snapped his eyes open and stood up straight. Yami was standing in front of Yuugi with his arms crossed over his chest. He had that ever present, irritating smirk on his face and his ruby eyes glistened with a hint of mischief. He had changed his clothes; he had traded in his leather pants for black jeans and the skintight tank top for a long sleeved black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

Yuugi felt his heart beat quicken at the sight; he quickly chastised himself. "Did you have fun?" Yami raised a questioning eyebrow at Yuugi's spiteful tone. "Torturing my friend like that in his nightmare?"

Yami almost looked hurt. "I did no such thing."

Yuugi shook his head. "I knew you had some part in it, even if you did not do it directly. You have the power to do whatever you want in this Realm. You can make our nightmares as horrible as you want. I know you can!"

"You know," Yami said softly, bringing his hand up to hover over Yuugi's cheek. "You have the mot beautiful eyes."

"Huh?" Yuugi wondered, his anger quickly diminishing at how quickly Yami changed the subject.

"They change colors with your moods. When you're unhappy your eyes are the same shade of purple when the sun just begins to set over the horizon. But when you're happy, their such a light, cheery amethyst color."

Yuugi scoffed and quickly turned his face away to hide his blush. "How would you know?" he mumbled. "You've never seen me happy before."

Yami chuckled and his eyes flashed with amusement. "Is that what you think? Yuugi, I'm a Shadow Man." As Yuugi tried to figure that last statement out, Yami continued, "Beautiful, innocent eyes and milky, white skin…and your hair, different and unique, like your personality. So silky and smooth…" Yami trailed off and ran his long fingers through Yuugi's spiked hair.

Yuugi shuddered and pressed himself against the wall, trying to get as far away from Yami as possible, but the boy followed. Yuugi bit his lips and his toes curled. Yami smiled, pleased at Yuugi's reactions, and he continued to run his fingers through the silky strands.

Yuugi didn't know what to do in this situation. Yami wasn't being rough or pushy himself onto Yuugi. He was being gentle and loving. And worse…Yuugi actually liked it.

"_Don't_," Yuugi commanded weakly.

"You're so beautiful," Yami whispered, his hot breath tickly Yuugi's ear. Yuugi blushed; when had he gotten so close? Another shudder went up Yuugi's spine at Yami's words. "Doesn't it feel good?"

It took all of Yuugi's strength to shake his head and whimper out a, "No."

Yuugi didn't know what to do or how to get away from him. The sad part was, he didn't know if he even wanted to.

"Have I told you about your mouth?" he asked. "No? It's soft. With a short upper lip and a full lower, to create a perfect pout. There's something you want, Yuugi, something that you're not getting."

"I-I have to go now," Yuugi stuttered out pathetically, saying the first thing that came to mind, which happened to be something that didn't even make sense in the current situation.

Yami chuckled. "You don't have to go anywhere, Yuugi," he stated matter-of-factly. Yami held Yuugi's gaze, unable to take his eyes away from his angelic face for a moment. "I can show what it is you've been wanting. Will you let me? Let me show you, Yuugi."

His voice turned Yuugi's mind to mush, unable to form any coherent thoughts. That voice stole the bones from his body and made his legs shake uncontrollable. He was aware that he was shaking his head slightly. His touch made him feel weak; it gave him the feeling of his stomach falling, the same feeling you get on a roller coaster.

"Let me show you," he whispered, his lips only a breath away from his own. He gently cupped the back of his neck, tilting Yuugi's face up towards his. Yuugi felt himself drift towards him.

"Stop," he said to himself in a silent plea. Then it became more commanding, directed towards Yami. "Stop."

"Do you really want me to?"

Yuugi gulped. "Yes."

Yami sighed. "Alright." And just like that, he released Yuugi, taking his hand away from his neck, stepping back to give Yuugi space.

Yuugi could still feel his fingers in his hair, his breath brushing against his lips, making them tingle. 'I almost kissed him,' Yuugi thought with astonishment. 'My first kiss with another guy.'

"Why are you doing this?" Yuugi whimpered, his amethyst eyes filling with diamond tears.

Yami sighed helplessly. "I told you. I've fallen in love with you. I didn't do it on purpose," he said almost defensively. He ran his fingers through his golden bangs in frustration and the look in his shockingly red ruby eyes were lost.

"But we're so different," Yuugi said weakly, refusing to meet Yami's eyes. "Why would you—want me? Why?"

Yami smiled and dropped his hand to his side. "Don't you know? Light to darkness, darkness to light. You cannot have a shadow without light; you are my light, Yuugi."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Yuugi said and he truly didn't. He didn't want to understand it. Yuugi made the mistake of looking up into Yami's eyes; his knees grew weak.

Yami looked thoughtful for a moment and then smiled. "Suppose the devil was minding his own business—when he suddenly saw a boy. A little boy that made him forget everything. All the darkness and loneliness he felt. There had been many other beautiful young girls and just as many men throwing themselves at the man's feet—but this boy had something. A goodness, a sweetness, an innocence about him that he simply wanted."

Yuugi thought about if for a moment. Of course, only the devil would fall into such a sin as falling in love with a young, innocent _boy_. "To destroy it," Yuugi commented.

Yami shook his head. "No, no. To cherish it. To warm his cold heart. Even a poor devil can dream, can't he?"

"You're trying to trick me," Yuugi stated.

"Am I?" Yami asked, cocking an eyebrow. There was a seriousness in Yami's tone that made Yuugi want to cover his ears and make noise to block it out.

"I won't listen to you," Yuugi said stubbornly. "You can't make me listen."

"True, true." For a moment, Yami almost looked tired. Then he gave Yuugi his infamous smirk. "Then there's no choice but to keep playing, is there? No choice for either of us."

"Yami—"

"What?" the boy answered almost immediately.

Yuugi stopped short, shaking his head.

He was completely crazy. But Yuugi knew, that Yami was truly in love with him. He just knew. But Yami was still evil. He was cruel; he had tortured his friends. He was as dangerous as a serpent, and just as cunning as one. The true Prince of Darkness.

Completely evil—and completely in love with him.

"If you want me so bad, why don't you just take me?" Yuugi asked. "Why go through all this trouble? Why bother with the Game? You could grab me at any time, so why don't you?"

Yami's eyelashes drooped, shading his gem like eyes. At that moment, he looked like he did back in the game store. Almost vulnerable—almost human.

After Yami didn't answer for a while, realization struck Yuugi. "Because you can't," he breathed out. "You can't, can you?" Yuugi asked; Yami crossed his arms and turned his face away. "You can't just do anything you want, not even here."

Yami's head snapped up and his eyes glittered dangerously. "This is my world. I make the rules here—"

"No," Yuugi interrupted; he felt giddy. "Not this one. That's why you tried to make me kiss you. You can't do anything without my permission."

"Be careful, Yuugi," Yami warned, giving the boy a look.

But Yuugi wasn't afraid, not this time. "If you can kiss me against my will, then prove it." Yuugi laughed excitedly. "Show me—do it now. I dare you!"

Yami didn't move an inch.

Yuugi laughed again.

Yami chuckled low in his throat, the sound made Yuugi's blood run cold. "You done?" When he received no answer from Yuugi, he continued. "I don't think you understand. I am going to have you, at any cost. _Any_ cost, Yuugi, even if you have to suffer on the way. If I can't force you, then I will persuade you…and I can be very persuasive," he purred.

Yuugi gulped, all of his confidence and triumph crumbling away.

"I think you've forgotten just where you are, Yuugi. Whose territory you are on. Remember, this is my domain, this is my Game; remember what I can do here."

Yuugi was falling from his high and completely sober now.

"You challenged me—now I suppose I'll have to show you what I am capable of."

Yuugi gulped. "I don't care what you do to me."

Yami shrugged. "Maybe it won't be to you. Possibly your friends, they're playing the Game too. It could even be your _dear_ friend, Jounouchi."

Yuugi sucked in a breath through his teeth. "Don't you dare—!"

Yami winked at Yuugi and he then disappeared in front of Yuugi's eyes like a wisp of smoke.

"Wait, Yami!" Yuugi called; Yami did not reappear. "Damn it!"

"Language, Yuugi!" someone gasped from behind him.

Yuugi's eyes widened, he whirled around and found Malik standing behind him with a devious grin on his face, arms crossed over his chest. The boy had a small, paper thin cut on his the side of his neck, warm crimson blood running down his long neck and stopped at his collarbone and then down his shirt. "Malik!" Yuugi cried, running and the taller boy and hugging him tightly. "What happened to you?"

Malik pretended to choke and pushed Yuugi away from him. "Relax, I had a small run in with a Shadow Man in the hall after we split up; you know, the physco looking one? He tried to grope my ass, I kicked him where it counted, we had a _bit _of a fight, and…" Malik gestured to the cut on his neck. "Ta-da!"

Yuugi gasped and looked over Malik's shoulder to see if the crazy man was there. But who he saw instead surprised him. "Anzu?" Yuugi cried. He pushed Malik aside and rushed to his friend's side.

"Hi, Yuugi!" Anzu chirped.

Malik grumbled and crossed his arms again. "Oh yeah, and I found her."

Yuugi looked over his shoulder and gave Malik a warning glance; the blond loved to push the girl's buttons and get her mad. It was evident from the first moment the two met that Malik didn't like Anzu; the feeling was mutual. "Are you okay?" Yuugi asked Anzu. "Did anything happen to you?"

Anzu shook her head and smiled. "Nope, I was just walking down a mirrored hallway when it all started to gradually change and then Malik found me. Now," Anzu said, holding up her arms to gesture to the hall around them. "Here I am!"

Yuugi nodded in understanding. "Have you seen anyone else?" he asked.

Anzu hummed as she thought then shook her head. "No, just you and Malik."

Yuugi sighed slightly in relief and also in disappointment. He didn't want Anzu to have any run ins with any of the Shadow Men, but he was also hoping she might have found any of their friends.

"But I would like to know what's going on," Anzu added, her hands firmly planted on her hips to make a sassy pose.

Yuugi looked over his shoulder at Malik; the boys exchanged looks and Malik shrugged. "We'll explain on the way."

Malik nodded and then took off down the hallway, not caring which direction he went or if his friends were following him. Yuugi sighed again, he had been doing that a lot lately, and jogged to catch up with the boy, Anzu in tow.

"W-wait," Anzu stuttered. "On the way to where?"

"We have to find a door leading to your nightmare," Malik said calmly, looking straight ahead.

"Wh-what?" Anzu stuttered out. Yuugi looked up at the girl, she looked terrified. Was her nightmare that bad?

"You know," Malik said. "The thing your most afraid of; whatever it is you drew on that piece of paper before we started the Game is what we're going to have to face."

"Um," Anzu said quietly, ringing her hands together.

The two boys then began to fill Anzu in on what happened to them and all the rules of the Game. What they had to do, the time limit, how they had to find all their friends. While they were explaining it to Anzu, she was completely stiff and kept looking down at her feet.

Malik looked up and noticed something a little ways away. "Hey, Yuugi," Malik said, getting the boy's attention by shaking his shoulder. Yuugi looked up at Malik who still wouldn't look at him; the blond Egyptian was pointing at something. Yuugi followed his finger and squinted; there was something beneath that candle…

Malik jogged ahead of them and stopped in front of the thing that caught his interest. "Bingo! I think I found the door to your nightmare, Anzu!" Malik said, a little too cheerfully. "Oh man, I am so pumped up!" Malik said bouncing on the balls of his feet. "After facing my nightmare and that damn Shadow Man, I can face whatever is thrown at me! Come at me, Bro!" Malik said to the door.

Yuugi sighed and shook his head. He turned towards Anzu who looked like she was about to turn tail and run. Yuugi smiled tenderly and took Anzu's hand. "Don't worry, whatever is behind that door, we're going to face together. There's no need to be scared," Yuugi said reassuringly.

Anzu gulped and smiled down at Yuugi, the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. She nodded and walked forward with Yuugi and over towards Malik who was currently doing a very good impression of Rocky Balboa in the boxing ring; Yuugi had to put a hand on Malik's shoulder to quite his bouncing.

Anzu raised her hand as if she were in a classroom. "Um, you guys told me that the halls are constantly changing, right?" She received two nods. "Then how do you know you haven't opened this one before?"

Before Yuugi could answer _rationally_, Malik grinned evilly and replied. "We don't."

Yuugi had to resist the urge to face palm.

Then Malik studied the door more carefully, suddenly more serious. "The again, this door doesn't have a key like the last one so we better get into monster position again, Yuugi."

Yuugi nodded and released Anzu's hand to grab the doorknob. Malik raised his foot, ready to kick the door shut if there was a monster behind it. Anzu stood there, confused.

"On three," Malik said, Yuugi nodded. "One…two…thr—!"

"Wait!" Anzu suddenly yelled.

Malik sighed in frustration and lowered his foot to the ground. "What?" he snapped.

"Why are we doing this, guys?" she asked, both boys raised an eyebrow at her. "Why don't we just sit down and refuse to play the Game?"

Yuugi stepped in front of Malik before he could snap at the girl. "Because if we don't play, we'll be trapped here forever. We lose automatically," he tried to explain as calmly as he could.

"And I refuse to lose by default because you can't face your nightmare, princess!" Malik cried in frustration from behind Yuugi. "Come on, Yuugi, get back into position." Yuugi did and Malik had his leg raised, Anzu had her hands clasped to her chest.

"_Three_!" Malik yelled. Yuugi threw the door open and behind it…was a forest.

Malik dropped his leg. "The hell?" Malik started walking into the forest, looked around. There was a sky and birds and trees, just like a real forest, it just wasn't a _real_ forest.

"Okay…" Yuugi said. "This is weird." Yuugi took Anzu's hand and guided her into her nightmare. The door slammed shut behind them and vanished. Anzu turned around, surprised to see a grassy plain there instead of a door.

"Come on, lets go," Malik said, walking into the forest with Yuugi and Anzu following close behind.

The place truly was beautiful. A canopy of thick leaves from the trees was created to shade the forest floor, beams of sunlight falling through some of the gaps in the leaves like liquid sunshine. There were deer frolicking and rabbits borrowing in the hollows of oak trees. Birds were singing their songs overhead and feeding their little babies.

It was like a fairytale come true.

So why did Anzu look so upset?

"What is your nightmare, Anzu?" Yuugi suddenly asked, without meaning to.

Anzu gulped and turned away from Yuugi. "I, um…it's…uh…"

Malik sighed and stopped walking, nearly making Yuugi run into his back. "Listen Anzu, we're going to find out what your nightmare is eventually so you might as well tell us so that we're prepared. Instead, we're walking around aimlessly in a freakin' forest!"

"Um…" was Anzu's response.

"Speak, woman!" Malik commanded.

"Malik!" Yuugi said harshly, well, as harshly as he could. "We're not going to achieve anything by standing here and yelling, so just calm down and let's—" Yuugi stopped short and blinked. "What's that?" he suddenly asked, pointing ahead of them.

Malik turned back around and started walking towards where Yuugi was pointing. He cleared away some shrub and gasped. "I think I found something!" he called back to his two friends.

Yuugi and Anzu stumbled to catch up with Malik and walked into a large, circular clearing surrounded by a wall of oak trees. The grass in this area was lush and green. Sunlight flooded in, giving the clearing a brighter, more peaceful look. And in the center of the clearing, was a podium made of vines and roots, brightly colored flowers decorating the base. And sitting on the podium, was a thick storybook, open to a certain page.

"What's this?" Yuugi asked himself, walking towards the storybook.

Malik looked over Yuugi's shoulders at the book as Yuugi flipped the pages, showing pictures of different children tales like Little Red Riding Hood or Rapunzel; all the pictures were beautifully illustrated and it looked like the words were written in gold ink. "Is this your nightmare?" Malik asked, turning towards Anzu.

The girl furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and walked over to join her two friends. She looked over Yuugi's other shoulder as the boy flipped the Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. "I-I think so."

"What do you mean you think so?" Malik asked.

"Well…" Anzu began.

Before Anzu could continue, there was a sudden gust of wind. It picked up the thin pieces of parchment paper and fluttered it to a certain page. The three friends gasped as they saw an illustration of _themselves_ standing over the storybook.

'_And the three unexpecting friends were then transported to the World of Grimm._

_The three of them screamed when a blinding flash of light erupted from the pages, enveloping them in its cold caress. Their screams dwindled as they were pulled further and further into the book._

_And then the light was gone, and so were the three friends.'_

The heavy front of the book closed with thump. On the deep brown leather binding, the gold, glittering letters read:

_The Book of Grimm_

Somewhere in the paper house, up on the top floor by the turret, a certain blond was awaking.

"Wh—? What happened?" Jounouchi asked himself. He slowly sat up and groaned in pain. "Oh…my head." When his vision cleared, honey brown eyes scanned the room. "Wh-where am I? The last thing I remember was that I was in the parlor and—Yuugi!"

"Oh? So you're finally awake I see," a dark voice said. Jounouchi whipped his head around and moaned in pain when he felt his brain rattle around in his head. He knew that voice…

Yami stepped out from the shadows and smirked down at the blond, his eyes looked at Jounouchi like he was dirt on his shoe. "Now the real fun can begin."

-/-

**Ranko: And that's all for now, folks! And in case you haven't noticed yet, I'm a real bitch when it comes to cliffhangers!**

**Yami: (shudders) I'm a bit afraid of what's going to happen next chapter.**

**Ranko: Jounouchi is the one who should be afraid! And Yuugi…(shudders)**

**Yuugi: What's to be afraid of? The nightmare is only fairytales.**

**Ranko&Yami: O.O**

**Yuugi: What?**

**Ranko: Have you never read, or even heard, of the Grimm Brothers' stories?**

**Yuugi: (shakes head)**

**Ranko: Um, you know those cute little Disney Princess movies with the singing animals and happy endings? Imagine…you know what, it's probably best you look it up yourself, I wouldn't want to scar any of my readers by getting to graphic in my descriptions. Let's just say the Grimm Brothers stories didn't involve singing animals it involved blood, and lots of it.**

**Yuugi: (scared) Uh…review, please?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ranko: I'm so bored…**

**Yami: Oh no, what's the problem?**

**Ranko: I'm bored! You know how I've been bitching about school a lot lately, well now I wish it would come faster because I have nothing to do!**

**Yuugi: Well you can always answer reviews.**

**Ranko: (blinks) Never thought of that. (holds up paper) Let's see what we got here. What? Only one? Oh well…**

**CrimsonStrawberry17: I know, I am a big fan of the Grimm Brothers myself and I don't understand how they can take a bloody tale and turn it into a musical (The Little Mermaid is my favorite movie but the Grimm Brothers version is better). But, I won't lie, every time I read or have a discussion about the Grimm Tales I get kinda sick. But yeah, you should read the Forbidden Game series, really good books.**

**Yami: I agree, the Forbidden Game books are really good, even though Ranko ruined the ending for me.**

**Ranko: Will you quit your bitching? I said I was sorry already! Now do the disclaimer, slave!**

**Yami: Ranko twin doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh, the Forbidden Game series, or any of the Grimm Tales. If she did, she would be rich and successful and wouldn't be writing fanfiction at this moment.**

**Ranko: You're such a downer. Enjoy!**

**Yuugi: I'm scared…enjoy Ranko's take on the Grimm Tales, she has read the stories for all the tales she is going to use and her take will not be accurate. She realizes this but lengthwise, she could not fit the whole stories into the nightmare, she has to choose the scariest parts. Hope none of you are disappointed!**

-/-

"Yami?" Jounouchi cried, jumping to his feet. The room spun for a moment and Jounouchi stumbled but grabbed the edge of a table for support. Yami crossed his arms and cocked his hip. "What are your doing here? What happened to me? Where's Yuugi? I swear, if you did anything to him, I'll—!"

"Woah, one question at a time," Yami said, holding up his hands in a warding off gesture. Jounouchi huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. He stood across from Yami and their eyes locked in a heated battle until Yami cut it off. "You already know who I am and what I am doing here, so I won't answer that first question of yours."

Jounouchi blushed in embarrassment and rage. "Shut up!"

Yami shook his head and continued. "You faced your greatest nightmare, don't you remember? Or shall I remind you what it is?"

Jounouchi looked up and locked eyes with Yami again; big mistake. Yami's eyes glowed red and in Yami's eyes, Jounouchi could see his nightmare. Ushio and his gang beating him up after he left, Jounouchi's father getting drunk and beating him. Jounouchi could feel his scars throb with pain, as if they were on fire.

He screamed and crumpled to the floor, he cried out in pain, feeling the pain from the blows to his gut as Ushio's gang took turns beating him and quick, sharp cuts made from the kitchen knife as his father came barreling at him. He saw the tall, lifelike figures come at him, hued a bloody red.

Jounouchi screamed again and fell on his back, curling up into the fetal position. "Ah! No! Get away from me! Ah!"

"You don't deserve him, you know," Yami spoke, it sounded like he was speaking a mile away, so faint and unclear.

Jounouchi's pain hazed mind didn't understand what Yami was talking about until another figure stepped in front of Jou's limp and beaten form, guarding him from the people who wanted to do him harm. Jounouchi looked up, his vision was blurry but he could still make out the set jaw and determined eyes of his best friend. "Yuugi?"

"_I won't let your hurt him, he's my friend!_"

Jounouchi cracked a smiled. "Yuugi…"

Yami scowled at the image before him, even though he was the one creating it. Every time he remembered how Yuugi put himself in danger for that lowlife, his blood began to boil. He remembered watching that day and feeling rage towards that Jounouchi. How could his Yuugi care for such a boy even though he had hurt him many times before? Yami was the one who had been protecting Yuugi, not this scum. 'Why Yuugi? Why protect him?'

Yami began to stride towards Jounouchi's curled up form, walking through the phantoms that soon wisped away like smoke. Yami stopped in front of Yuugi, just staring at him for a moment, before walking through him as well.

He stopped in front of Jounouchi and then reached down and grabbed the collar of his shirt, hauling him up to Yami's eye level. "I know that you love him," Yami whispered harshly. "I could see it in your eyes when you first met him."

Jounouchi didn't even bother to ask how Yami had seen the first moment the two best friends met.

"But you always bullied him because you didn't know how to express those feelings, you always hit him because he was beautiful. I could see confused rage in your eyes, the same look in your father's eyes when he beat you," Yami growled out.

Jounouchi's eyes widened at what Yami said. He would've struggled if he weren't terrified of Yami at the moment.

"You always tortured him, but he still cared for you, he still protected you when you needed it most even though you didn't do anything to him to deserve his kindness and love. You're despicable, you don't deserve him," Yami said, spitting in Jounouchi's face. He threw the blond to the ground and glared down at him. "Be lucky that you're Yuugi's friend, because if you weren't, you'd be dead by now."

Yami turned away and started to walk away when something Jounouchi said stopped him in his tracks. "You think you do?"

Yami whipped around. "What?"

"You think you deserve him?" Jounouchi asked weakly, pushing himself up on his elbows. "I saw confused rage in your eyes; you're no better than me."

Yami growled and narrowed his eyes at Jounouchi. "I would love to stay and chat about this, but I have more important matters to deal with." And with that said, he disappeared.

He hadn't even answered Jounouchi's third question.

_The Book of Grimm_

_Little Snow-White_

_Once upon a time, there was a young girl; the most beautiful girl in all the land. She had blue eyes as clear as the sea, brown hair as deep as fresh soil, and skin as white as snow. Her name was Anzu Mazaki. Everyone loved this child, she was beautiful and kind. But the girl's stepmother had an envious heart. She wanted to be the most beautiful woman in all the land. _

_So the stepmother found a fearless huntsman and commanded him to take Anzu into the Black Forest and bring back her heart. The huntsman did as he was told and took the young girl into the Black Forest, where no man ever ventured to go. When he was about to kill Anzu, the girl caught onto his plan and ran away from him, going deeper into the Black Forest. The huntsman gave chase and that is where our story begins._

Anzu ran through the deep forest, huffing from exertion. Her dress caught onto twigs and she tripped over upturned roots. She let out little yelps when she thought she saw a wild beast or the huntsman that was chasing her. She tried to make as little noise as possible, but when running for your life, that was hard. She heard him behind her, taunting her. He was catching up.

Anzu quickly took cover in a hollow of a tree. She curled herself up into a tight ball and held her breath. She heard the huntsman's footsteps slow and come closer to her hiding spot. She pushed herself deeper into the hollow, resisting the urge to weep. She saw his feet from her hiding spot. He was standing right there.

Anzu squeezed her eyes shut and didn't move an inch, didn't breath.

"Anzu," the huntsman sang. "Where are you? If you come out now, I will make it as painless as possible. Come out, come out, wherever you are."

A silent tear squeezed through Anzu's closed eyelids, rolling down her cheek. 'Someone, help me!'

_The Book of Grimm_

_Rapunzel_

_Once upon a time, there was a wicked enchantress with a beautiful vegetable garden. It was surrounded by stonewalls and the enchantress would not let anyone eat of her garden._

_There was a young couple, and the wife could bear no children. One day, the wife saw the delectable vegetable garden and wanted to eat of it. She craved for it every day and it came to a point that if she didn't eat of it, she would die. So the husband climbed the stonewall and picked vegetables for his wife. This happened everyday until the enchantress caught the husband._

"_Thief! You shall be punished for stealing from me!"_

"_Please," he begged. "My wife will die if she does not eat of your vegetable garden."_

_The enchantress allowed her anger to be softened and said to him, "If what you say is true, I will allow you take as much as you want, only if you give me your first born child. I shall care for this child as if it were my own and treat it well." _

_The man agreed and the wife soon bore a child – a healthy baby boy. The enchantress took the child away right after he was born and named him Malik. Malik was a handsome boy with long, sandy blond locks. The enchantress shut the boy in a tower, which was lay in a forest, with no stairs nor door, only a small window at the top. No one ever saw Malik except for the enchantress, when she wished to get it she would call for Malik to let down his hair and she would climb up. Until one day, a prince spotted the tower in the forest. That is where our story begins._

Malik sat in an uncomfortable wooden chair with a straight back. He leaned his elbow against the window seal, resting his chin in his hand. His fingers were currently tapping impatiently against his knee. Malik always had longer hair than most boys; he always grew it to his shoulders. But now his hair was ridiculously long.

He could believe he got stuck with the Rapunzel story; he huffed in irritation. 'I wonder how Yuugi is doing,' he thought absentmindedly. Then he thought of something more important. He peaked out the tiny window and saw the long drop to the ground. "How the hell am I suppose to get out of this damn tower?" he mumbled to himself.

Malik took a long strand of hair and twirled it around his fingers. "This can't get any worse."

Just when he said that, he heard someone call up to him from the ground. "Malik-pretty, let down you gorgeous hair for me?"

Malik groaned; no, no way in hell, there was no way the gods hated him that much. He peeked back out the window and just stared at the sight before him for a moment. His left eye twitched and he had to resist the urge to bang his head against the wall.

Below him, on the ground, was the physco Shadow Man that looked like Malik, standing beside a white horse. Yes, you heard me, a white horse. He was dressed in womanly tights that all the Disney princes wore and a tailored, prince jacket with fringe and all. He winked at Malik and blew him a kiss.

Malik looked around the room of his tower. Where was a knife when you needed one?

Malik settled for a thick, hardcover book instead. "Go away!" he yelled, throwing the book down. He obviously missed but he hoped he got the point across.

The Shadow Man pouted and before Malik could blink, he was sitting on the window ledge in front of Malik. "There's no need to be like that, Malik-pretty. I know we got off on the wrong foot so why don't we start over." The man held out his hand for Malik to shake. "They call me Marik, but in this nightmare I'm Prince Marik."

Malik stared at the hand before he swatted it away. "Do you want me to kick you again?"

Marik leaned into Malik, invading his personnel space. Before Malik could escape, Marik grasped his chin. "Listen, you better take this seriously, just because this isn't your nightmare, doesn't mean you can just fuck around, got it? Sitting around bored in a tower may not be very intimidating but you still have to face it until your friend Yuugi comes to save you. Until then, you have to face this freakish fairytale alone with me."

Malik's eyes widened in surprise and fright, he didn't know Marik could be serious. Malik tried to free himself but Marik's fingers tightened around his chin until it left bruises. "Oh gods," Malik whispered.

Marik leaned in closer until their lips were only a breath apart. "Welcome to hell, Malik-pretty."

Malik quickly pushed against Marik's chest. His chair toppled over and he landed on his back, in a pile of his own hair. Before Malik could get up to run, Marik was already over him with a pair of scissors. "I think the first thing we need to do it get rid of all that hair." Marik grabbed the hair at the top of Malik's scalp and pulled him up, he clipped off all his hair until it was its normal shoulder length. "Now you can't escape." He cornered Malik against a wall.

Malik's eyes flickered around frantically until it landed on his only means of escape. "Wanna bet?" Marik seemed surprised at this statement, the surprise didn't last long until it was replaced by pain; Malik kneed him in the gut.

Malik made a mad dash for the window and Marik threw the scissors at the boy. Malik jumped through the tiny window as the scissors sliced his left cheek. It wasn't the heart stopping drop that frightened Malik but the fact he was going to drop into a pit of thorns at the base of the tower.

_The Book of Grimm_

_Little Red Riding Hood_

_Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young boy that went by the name of Yuugi Motou. Everyone who looked at him loved him, but no one loved the boy as much as his grandmother. The boy's grandmother knitted him a blood red riding cloak that he would wear anywhere and everywhere he went. It suited him so well that he was called Little Red Riding Hood._

_Yuugi visited his grandmother, who lived in the woods, everyday. His grandmother was sick and had no one to take care of her, so he would bring her fresh food and drink when he visited her._

_Before he left, his mother would always say to him, "Remember Yuugi, do not stray from the path." _

_And Yuugi would always take great care to stay on the path, never straying from the path laid out for him. That is, until he met the wolf. That is where our story begins._

Yuugi walked down the snowy path, naked trees glistening with ice crystals on either side of him. Red robins sang from their perch on the snowy branches. The snow and ice crunched beneath Yuugi's feet, his red cloak around his shoulders fluttering in the chilly breeze. A basket of bread and cakes was cradled securely to Yuugi's body, to keep it warm and free from snow. Yuugi's breath puffed out from his frozen lips and his whole body was shivering. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself and clutched the warm basket closer. Snowflakes clumped together on Yuugi's eyelashes and the tip of his nose.

Yuugi looked around the lonely path, wondering why he was here and how he could escape from it. Apparently, this was supposed to be the nightmare he had to face, so where were Malik and Anzu? He called his friends names and his only answer was the howling wind.

He knew he was supposed to be Little Red Riding Hood, so where was the wolf already? This wasn't a very scary nightmare in all honesty; he didn't know what to do.

To keep himself from losing his mind from boredom, he thought of Yami's riddle.

_I am just two and two. I am hot. I am cold._

_I'm a parent of numbers that cannot be told._

_I'm a gift beyond measure, a matter of course,_

_And I'm yielded with pleasure—when taken by force._

Suddenly, Yuugi had it. Yes! It had to be that! Something that could be hot and passionate, or cold and impersonal. A parent of numbers, because it can lead to…uh, fun things that could lead to babies being made. Something that is just two and two—two pairs of lips touching.

A kiss.

'Leave it to Yami to think of something like that,' Yuugi thought. He smiled in triumph. 'That doesn't matter, because I solved the riddle!' Yuugi almost did a little happy dance in the snow. Almost.

Now he just had to figure out who he would send home. Probably Jounouchi; Yuugi loved all his other friends dearly, but Jounouchi was in deeper danger than any of them. He was trapped somewhere in the paper house, most likely being tortured by Yami.

Now the only problem with solving the riddle, was that now Yuugi was bored again. He had nothing to think about. All he had left was to wait for the wolf from the fairytale to appear.

Just as Yuugi thought that, he heard an animal howling that made his blood run cold.

The wolf.

Yuugi stopped dead in his tracks. The robins stopped singing and the wind didn't even blow. Yuugi heard crunching of snow coming from the trees. And appearing from behind one of the bare trees in front of Yuugi was Yami.

Yuugi felt his shoulder's sag and his jaw nearly drop. You're kidding, right?

Standing before Yuugi was Yami dressed in a brown fur vest that left his toned midriff exposed. He was dressed in brown leather pants and poking out of his head were brown, pointy ears. A long, dog-like tail flicked lazily back and forth from the seat of his pants. His arms were crossed over his chest and he had his usual trademark grin in place—of course.

"Yami?" Yuugi said, he didn't mean for it to come out sounding like a question, it just did. He couldn't help himself, it was just too ridiculous.

Yami's smiled stretched wider across his face and his tail wagged faster. "Good day, Little Red."

The last time Yuugi saw Yami, he had been furious at him, but now, he really wanted to just point his finger and laugh at him. It was funny! The usually dark and creepy Yami now looking like a lap dog. Yami smiled more, a real genuine smile that made Yuugi smile as well. Yami was pleased with Yuugi's reaction to his state of dress; he obviously got the reaction he wanted out of the boy.

"Hey Yami," Yuugi said, trying to restrain his giggles. "You really got into your character. Enjoying the part of being the big bad wolf?" he asked.

Yami's tail wagged, he usually would have said something inappropriate that implied something, but Yuugi looked so innocent and cute, he couldn't find it in his heart to do it. "More or less." He sauntered over to Yuugi and stopped in front of him. "What do you think of the nightmare?"

Yuugi pouted. "Very boring."

Yami smirked and leaned in closer. "I can make it more interesting if you want?"

Yuugi blushed as red as his cloak; the friendly moment was gone now and they were back to playing their roles. "No thank you, we have a time limit and I would rather find my friends and get out of here." Yuugi tried to walk past Yami but the man sidestepped him.

"What's the rush, Little Red? Stay and chat awhile."

Yuugi narrowed his eyes at him, trying to look intimidating. "Please, get out of my way."

Yami did not move out of his way, his smile only widened until Yuugi could see his canine teeth. "I admire your confidence, Little Red."

Yuugi matched Yami's broad, smug smile. "You're about to admire my success—I solved your riddle. And you're wrong, it is not given by pleasure when taken by force."

Yami looked pleased and leaned in closer to Yuugi; Yuugi leaned away. "What isn't?" he purred.

Yuugi had to resist the urge to blush. He stood his ground and stared straight into Yami's eyes. "A kiss." Yami's eyes twinkled in delight. "That's the answer, isn't it?" Yuugi asked, suddenly losing his nerve at the look in Yami's eyes. "And you told me that if I solved your riddle, you'd let one of my friends go."

Yami shook his head and clicked his tongue at Yuugi. "No, no, no, you're getting ahead of yourself, Little Red. I told you if you _gave_ me the answer I would let one of your friends go. Now give me the answer."

Yuugi stood there in silence for moment, just staring at Yami as he registered what he had just said. Then it all clicked in Yuugi's mind. "You—!"

Yami blinked, almost looking surprised. "I've upset you. You're offended." Yuugi nearly screamed in frustration. Yami gave him his trademark smile. "Here, let me give you something to cheer you up." Yami reached behind his back and when he pulled his hand back out from behind him, he was holding a rose.

A blood red rose that was half opened and was perfect. The petals were cool and soft. Snow landed on the flower and it shimmered like diamonds. Yami handed the boy the rose and Yuugi held the stem carefully between his fingers, like he was holding glass.

"Th-thank you, its beautiful," Yuugi said, stroking the cool petals against his cheek.

Yami's eyes gleamed. "Come, let's take a walk, Little Red." Yami started to lead the boy off the path. It truly was a winter wonderland. It was a beautiful place with crystal ice charms and pure snow beneath their feet. Snow danced in the wind and red robins spread their wings and just let the wind carry them. It was so different then the path Yuugi had been walking.

And Yami, he looked like he belonged in this scenery. He was beautiful. Yuugi hadn't realized he had been staring at the boy and when he did he quickly looked away, blushing again. Yami made no smug comments or tried to do anything to Yuugi, there was a peaceful silence between the two.

"Have you ever wondered why you can go into dangerous places without getting hurt?" Yami suddenly asked, breaking the silence like ice.

Yuugi jumped at the sudden question and thought for a moment. He was always bullied and beat up at school, but never had he gotten hurt that he started bleeding or needed immediate medical treatment. "I…uh, no. I haven't."

Yami suddenly stopped and turned to look at Yuugi. There was passion in those deep, red orbs. There was a gentle love and desire to protect in those eyes. True sincerity. Yuugi couldn't hold that gaze for long. "I've been watching over you, Yuugi. Looking after you, protecting you. No one can touch you…but me."

Yuugi's eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. "B-but that's impossible. I've been like that…my entire life…you…"

"And I couldn't have watched you that long? But I have. I love you, Yuugi. Why can't you understand that?"

Yuugi gulped and pressed his lips firmly together. The power of his gaze was frightening. Yuugi was so confused, he didn't know what he felt anymore. He was the Prince of Darkness—so why did he choose him?

Yuugi turned and walked away from him, trying to gather his thoughts and emotions. Yami followed, standing so close behind him that Yuugi could feel his body heat on his back. "I've only been in love once. You're my first—and you'll be my only."

His words were musical and true and wrapped around Yuugi like a security blanket. No one had ever said that to Yuugi before.

Yuugi turned around and…

Yami touched him.

Yuugi's eyes widened as he felt Yami cup his cheek lovingly and carefully, like one would handle a porcelain doll. Yuugi was so surprised that he didn't move. Then he looked down and saw that he had taken his hand. "B-but I thought you couldn't…"

Yami's fingers were cool like marble and left Yuugi's skin feeling tingly. He had the urge to press his cheeks into Yami's hand. He stomped down that urge quickly.

"Don't," he whispered.

Yami started to stoke Yuugi's hand, brushing his thumb against his knuckles. Yuugi felt himself start to come undone at the touch. His touch was so delicate and careful, just like the rose. The rose…the gift Yami had given him. He had stroked it against his cheek, the cheek he was touching now.

"You…tricked me."

"Does it matter?" Yami asked, mesmerized.

Yuugi scowled, but it just looked like a pout. "Yes, it matters." Yuugi jerked away from Yami. "You knew that I would never touch you or anything you gave me so you tricked me. That won't work again."

The dazed look in Yami's eyes vanished and his smirk was back where it belonged. "Maybe not—but another will. Believe me, Yuugi, I'm going to make you mine—entirely—before this Game is over."

Yuugi narrowed his eyes. "In your dreams."

"No—in yours. And remember, you're not alone here."

Yuugi heard a scream.

"That's Anzu," Yuugi said quietly, and then it finally sunk in. "That's Anzu! Something's wrong!" Yuugi tried to run to find her, but Yami was still firmly holding his hand; Yuugi jerked his hand out of his and looked up into Yami's eyes—and froze. "You're doing this. You're doing this to get back at me."

The screaming continued.

"I warned you," Yami said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Do you want it to stop?"

"I'll make it stop myself. I told you that I would win this Game. And I will. I will never give into you." Yuugi threw the rose at Yami's feet and ran. He ran and ran and ran. He lost his basket at some point and his red cloak was fluttering behind him as he ran. He had no idea if Yami was following him or not, but he didn't slow down. He ran towards the sound of Anzu's screams.

Yuugi didn't even notice that there was no more snow on the ground and the plants around him were alive and fresh. He burst through shrubbery and came across a large clearing, in the center of the clearing was a large tower with bushels of thorns around its base. And fighting, not too far away from the tower was Malik.

The blond truly was a mess. His clothes were torn his hair was tangled. Scratches covered any visible skin and blood ran down his face, getting into his eyes and temporarily blinding him. He was standing protectively in front of Anzu, who was curled up on the ground, crying. Malik was fighting a big, burly man who had an axe in hand and was swinging it at Malik.

Yuugi ran over to Anzu and crouched next to her. "Malik! What happened?"

Malik ducked as the man swung his axe that was supposed to send Malik's head lying off. "Little busy at the moment…" Malik grabbed the pole of the axe and started to wrestle the burly man for it. "I'll explain later!" Malik planted a foot on the man's gut and pushed, sending them toppling in opposite directions from the momentum. Malik ended up with the axe.

The burly man grabbed a dagger from his belt and charged towards Malik with it.

"Malik! Look out!"

Malik held up the handle of the axe in front of his face and used it as a stopper; the sharp edges of the dagger got caught in the wood.

As Malik continued to fight the man, he called out, "Yuugi! There's a door at the base of the tower! That's probably the way out of here. Take Anzu and go!"

"But Malik—!" Yuugi protested.

"No! Yuugi, just go! I'll be fine!" At that moment, the axe was knocked out of Malik's hands, which left Malik defenseless. Malik scrambled to his feet and grabbed a branch of thorns and used them to ward off the man.

Yuugi didn't want to leave his friend, but he left him no other choice. Yuugi coaxed Anzu to stand up and ran around the base of the tower, looking for the door. When they finally found it, Yuugi found it and threw it open. He pushed Anzu through and then ran in. It slammed behind them as soon as Yuugi stepped through.

They waited in the hall of the paper house, staring at the closed door. They waited and stared. Yuugi had a sick feeling in his stomach telling him he wouldn't see Malik run through that door. He wouldn't see Malik with that look of excitement and anxiety on his face right after a good fight. Anzu was crying and weeping out, "It's all my fault."

Yami's words rang through his head.

_"One of them probably won't make it."_

The door flew open and Malik run through it, tripping over his own two feet. He slammed the door behind him and leaned against it heavily. He was huffing from exertion and had that look of excitement and anxiety on his face after a good fight. "Man, that was close. I've been dying for a fight and that was a good one."

He looked down at Yuugi and Anzu. Anzu had trails of tears running down her dirty face, leaving streaks of brown going down her cheeks. Yuugi had fresh tears collecting in his eyes. "Well, aren't you two a mess?"

Yuugi rubbed the tears from his eyes and threw himself at Malik, hugging him so tight that Malik's face turned red. "I was so scared! Don't you ever do that again!"

"Hey Yuugi! I need to breath!"

Yuugi loosened his hold slightly but didn't let go. Malik smiled down at his friend and wrapped his arms around him. Anzu got up and joined the hug, whispering, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Malik chuckled and wrapped one arm around Anzu's shoulder. "No problem, darling."

And they just all stood there in a group hug, none of them refusing to let go of the other.

The door disappeared a piece of paper fluttered down from nowhere. It was a block of brown that was supposed to represent a storybook and written on it in yellow colored pencil was: _The Book of Grimm._

An unseen clock struck twelve.

-/-

**Ranko: So, there is chapter 3. I hope I didn't disappoint when it came to the Grimm Tales. I have to admit, I was writing this chapter late at night and I kind of scared myself a little bit when I was writing Anzu's nightmare.**

**Yami: I liked it.**

**Yuugi: Of course you would like this chapter.**

**Yami: What's that supposed to mean?**

**Ranko: No fighting, you two. Not unless I say so.**

**Yami: Yeah, yeah. Anyway, what was up with the first part of this chapter? The scene with Jounouchi and me? I thought you said it was going to be scary.**

**Ranko: I never said that, I just said Jounouchi should be afraid, and he should. For some reason though, everyone thought that I was going to make you beat Jou to the brink of death.**

**Yuugi: We hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as Ranko enjoyed writing it.**

**Ranko: Please review and tell us what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ranko: (doing happy dance with Yuugi)**

**Yami: What the hell? What's up with you?**

**Ranko: I'm happy! Can't you tell?**

**Yuugi: Ranko got a lot of positive reviews.**

**Ranko: Yeah! You guys were so sweet and you all made me feel so loved! So let's reply to them now!**

**galerian57: Thank you! You made me feel so loved when I read your review (gives you cookie). I know, I love Julian/Yami too, he makes me smile. All shall be revealed about Mai and Grandpa soon enough! Thanks so much for all the awesome compliments! You are awesome! And I am using a lot of exclamation points!**

**hikari no senshi17: You should totally read the Grimm tales, they are very interesting, and a lot of people describe them as bloody and graphic but it really isn't that bad. Thanks for the suggestion, I am saving the best (Seto) for last though. This chapter is Honda! (gives you cookie)**

**naomi: I know! XD (gives you cookie)**

**raindropdew: Thank you! (man, at this point my teeth are aching at the amount of love I am feeling at this point; gives you cookie) Yeah, Yami can be a little bitch sometimes, but that's why we all love him. Thank you muchly for all the awesome compliments, you made my day! Thanks for the fav!**

**Inspiration's Wonderer: (gives you cookie) You are awesome! Thanks for the review! And some of the nightmares will be intense (as intense as I can make them) and some of them will be silly (like Honda's).**

**Yuugi: Ranko twin does not own anything!**

**Yami: And we mean anything! She's broke!**

**Ranko: (slaps Yami) Enjoy!**

-/-

Yuugi bent down and retrieved the waxy piece of paper. He looked it over and then handed it to Anzu, who looked at it with distaste and then stuffed it in her back pocket. "I drew the whole storybook because all the Grimm Tales scare me. I didn't know which one was more frightening. I've always had different nightmares of different stories. They were all unclear though."

"He's reaching into our subconscious," Malik observed, rubbing his chin in thought.

Yuugi looked at Malik and Anzu and noticed they were both beat up pretty bad. Anzu's hair was a mess, she had little scratches on her arms and her face was dusty with dirt. But Malik was much worse, he had cuts all of his body, some larger than others, all were bleeding, and he had a strange look in his violet eyes that made Yuugi worry. He had also noticed that they were no longer in their fairytale attire like they were in the nightmare.

"What happened to you guys when we were separated?" Yuugi asked.

Malik let out an exasperated sigh and ran his fingers through his greasy hair. "You will never believe this! I was freakin' Rapunzel. Rapunzel! So I was sitting in that damn tower, bored out of my mind when suddenly that Shadow Creep—Marik—shows up. So he basically sexually assaults me with his eyes, tries to rape me, he cut off all my hair, and then I jumped out window into a pile of thorns. I'm lucky I just got out of there with a few scratches."

"Oh my, God!" Yuugi exclaimed.

Malik smiled sheepishly. "Okay, so I might have exaggerated a few parts but anyway, after I jumped out the window and pulled myself out of the thorns, luckily Marik is no where in sight, Anzu runs into the clearing, screaming like banshee with this big guy chasing after her with an axe. Then, I guess that's when you came in."

Yuugi nodded and then turned towards Anzu. "I was running away from the huntsman from Snow-White. He was going to cut out my heart, unlike how it went in the original story. So, I was hiding and when I thought the coast was clear I came out, it turns out he was waiting for me in a tree and then he started to chase me again. That's when I ran into Malik."

"What about you, Yuugi?" Malik asked. "You were wearing some weird cloak thing, weren't you supposed to be what's her face red riding hood?"

Yuugi blushed and twiddled his thumbs. "Uh, yeah. And Yami was the wolf."

Malik's eyebrows raised in interest. "Really, now?"

"Yami?" Anzu piped in. "You mean the guy from the parlor, the Shadow Man that looks like you?"

Yuugi nodded. "Yep, that's the one." Yuugi hesitated for a moment, and then blurted, "You do know that it's because of me that you're suffering. It's me he wants. He told me that he'd stop hurting you if—if I—"

"Don't even think about it," Malik interrupted, a sharp look in his violet eyes.

"Right, we will all get through this together. That's what friends are for, right? We will never leave you to face this alone," Anzu said, putting a hand on Yuugi's shoulder.

Yuugi felt tears burn in his eyes and quickly rubbed them away. "Thanks."

"I have a question," Malik said, changing the subject. "What was with the forest we were walking in before we entered the book?"

Anzu put a finger to her chin in thought. "If I had to guess, we were walking in the Black Forest. That forest is a real thing, it's in Germany. It is _the _forest, the forest where everything happened in the Grimm tales."

Yuugi thought for a moment. "The forest I was walking in, except it was winter," he said to himself under his breath.

"I suppose I was thinking about it before we opened the door to my nightmare," Anzu said. "But I didn't put it there."

"You can't change thing here using your mind," Malik said seriously, crossing his arms over his chest. "You have to treat everything here as if its real."

"But where is here?" Anzu asked.

Yuugi thought for a moment but came up blank. "Good question, it's no where on Earth."

"The Shadow Realm," Malik answered immediately. Anzu and Yuugi gave him strange looks. "Remember the instructions on the Game box? A world that is like ours but different, that exists alongside ours, but never touches."

Yuugi nodded, remembering. "'Some people call is the world of dreams, buts it is as real as anything else…'" Yuugi quoted. "Well, the Shadow Realm touched our world tonight, anyway." Yuugi looked up when he heard Malik gasp. He looked up and saw Malik looking off into space. "What's wrong, Malik?"

"I just thought of something; my sister has these books at home, most of them are legends. There's this German legend that there are nine worlds, and ours is in the middle."

"Nine?" Yuugi questioned.

Malik nodded. "Yeah, nine. There's Asgard, which is basically a heaven, and Hel, which is like hell, and different worlds for the primal elements like fire, water, and wind." Malik shook his head to clear some of his thoughts. "But anyway, there's also a world of primal ice. It's sort of connected to Hel and its supposed to be the world of shadows. It's called Nilfheim, which can translate to the Shadow Realm."

A deafening silence surrounded the three friends.

"What are you saying?" Anzu asked, breaking the silence.

"Don't you see?" Malik snapped. "These guys call themselves the Shadow Men, there must be some connection. And the things that live in Nilfheim are supposed to be destructive, so they are kept under a rune of restraint to keep them from getting our of their world and into others."

Something Malik said caught Yuugi's attention. "Wait, you're not saying that you believe these runes are real, are you? The ones that Yami was talking about, they can't really work." It sounded like Yuugi was trying to convince himself than the rest of his friends.

"What other explanation is there?" Malik asked.

"I have to agree with Malik," Anzu said, surprising both the boys. "It's the only logical explanation."

This talk was starting to make Yuugi uncomfortable. The problem was, he didn't know why and that was making him more uncomfortable. If Yuugi were alone he would have screamed in frustration. After what Yuugi had seen so far, why should it upset him that runes might be real?

His parents' basement. Strange drawings. A closed closet door. More strange drawings. Opening the door. Eyes, so many eyes. Voices. Fear.

Yuugi shook his head to clear his thoughts; Anzu and Malik didn't seem to notice.

"Don't you think we should start looking for the next person?" Malik suddenly asked his friends. "I mean, there is a time limit and all."

Anzu nodded. "Do you think that we should split up?" Anzu asked.

"No," Yuugi said quickly, both of his friends raised an eyebrow at him. "Let's all stick together." Malik and Anzu exchanged glances, shrugged and nodded.

The truth was that Yuugi didn't want to be alone if he ran into Yami. By some weird laws in this universe, he had already allowed Yami to touch his hand, cheek, and hair. And he knew that Yami would not be satisfied until he had all of Yuugi. So it was only a matter of time until Yami thought of another trick or threat that allowed him to touch Yuugi. So it was best for Yuugi not to be alone at this point now that he understood the dangers.

The next person they found was Honda. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against racecar print wallpaper, appearing to be asleep.

"You have got to be kidding me," Anzu said pathetically, crouching down beside the sleeping teen. "How could he sleep in a place like this?"

Something caught Malik's eye and he wondered off, leaving Yuugi's side without either of his friends noticing.

"Honda," Yuugi said, shaking the boy's shoulder to try and wake him up. "Honda, wake up."

Honda's head lolled to the side and snored.

Anzu growled. "Honda! Wake up!" she screamed in his ear.

"Wha—!" Honda cried, falling over on his back, hitting the back of his head. "Ow! Damn it! What the hell, Anzu? What did you do that—for?" Honda finally realized that his friends were in front of him and he cried out in joy. "Guys! At last, I've found you!"

Yuugi giggled. "Actually, Honda, we found you."

"That doesn't matter! What does matter is that we're together again!" he cried, trying to pull Anzu into in embrace, which resulted in a slap to the face. He rubbed his red, stinging cheek. "That was a bit harsh," he mumbled. Anzu narrowed his eyes at him and he flinched away. "Can someone please explain to me what's going on?"

Anzu and Yuugi told Honda everything that had happened so far and what they had to do.

"How can you sleeping in a place like this anyway?" Yuugi asked. The hallway itself wasn't scary; it actually looked like the wallpaper he had when he was five.

Honda shrugged. "I was bored. I didn't know what was going on. One moment I was watching Jounouchi have some kind of panic attack and then I'm in this hallway. I wondered around for a few minutes but there was nothing. No doors, no staircases. So I just sat down and went to sleep, I knew someone would find me eventually."

"But we've been walking down this same hall for hours and we've seen three doors and I came up a staircase," Yuugi said more to himself than to his other friends.

At that moment, Malik made a reappearance. He jogged up to his three friends and fell to his knees beside them. "Guess you weren't looking hard enough, Honda. Because I found a door."

"What?" Yuugi asked, jumping up to his feet. Honda got up and offered his hand to Anzu but she swatted it away and pushed herself up.

Malik hopped up and nodded excitedly. "Yep, it's right down there," he said, pointy. "Man, I can't wait! I hope it's something scary!"

Yuugi and Anzu shook their heads; Honda blushed. "Actually, my nightmare's pretty childish." But Malik didn't hear him because he was already off running down the hall towards the door. His friends ran to catch up.

They found Malik pacing back and forth in front of the door and when he saw them approach he immediately snapped to attention like a soldier. "Alright, lets open this bad boy."

"Lets try and keep the door open this time," Yuugi said and then thought about it. "Unless we need to slam it shut real fast."

"Alright," Malik said, raising his leg to kick the door shut if he needed to. Yuugi put both hands around the doorknob and threw it open. On the other side of the door was…the exact same hallway.

Anzu, Malik, Honda, and Yuugi all crowded around the open door to look inside. It was the same hall with the same wallpaper with the _same_ brass candlesticks.

Yuugi went inside and looked around; Malik caught the door before it could close.

"This door really wants to close," Malik said, straining to keep the door open.

"It-it's the same place," Yuugi said, looking up and down.

Anzu stepped in after him, closely followed by Honda. "This is really weird," she muttered.

It was an exact mirror replica of the hallway they had just stepped out of. Honda went back over to Malik's side and looked at a candle. "It even has the same wax running down it. It's not just one that looks like it, there the same."

No matter how many times they went back and forth, they kept ending up in the same hall.

"For some reason it's not letting us into your nightmare," Yuugi said.

"Oh, that's _too bad_," Honda dragged out sarcastically.

Malik finally released the door and stepped into the look alike hallway. The door slammed shut behind him and disappeared. "It's like a revolving door to hell."

"Malik!" Yuugi cried.

"What?" Malik asked, he turned around and saw the door was gone. "Oh…"

"Great, now what?" Honda asked, taking a seat on the floor.

"You can tell us what your nightmare is," Malik suggested, but it sounded more like a command.

Honda blushed and shook his head; before Malik could snap at the brunet Yuugi crouched down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. "We're just trying to help, Honda. We're going to find out the nightmare eventually and we should be prepared."

Honda still kept his lips sealed in a thin, tight line.

Malik huffed and crossed his arms. "'Each of you has a secret you would rather dies than reveal…'" Malik quoted from the game card.

Anzu crouched down next to Honda. "It can't be that embarrassing, can it?"

Honda blushed harder.

Malik sat down next to Honda and patted him on the back. "Come on, big boy, spit it out."

Honda's lips quivered as he tried to hold something in. Then he finally blurted out, "I like yaoi!" he slapped a hand over his mouth and he was blushing so hard he turned purple.

Everyone stared at him slack jawed for a moment. Malik and Yuugi simultaneously cried, "What?"

And Anzu said, "I once stuck a pencil so far up my ear I had to go to the emergency room to take it out!" Anzu bit her knuckles and blushed. "What? Why did I say that?"

"What is going on?" Yuugi asked.

"It's my nightmare!" Honda said. "Santa Claus scares me!"

"I'm actually bi!" Malik cried out. Every head turned towards him. Malik was blushing hard but he also had tears collecting in his eyes. "I didn't mean to say that!"

"What is your—I kissed a girl!—nightmare?" Anzu asked.

"I-it's my friends learning all my secrets—I almost had sex with a boy in middle school!" Honda cried.

Yuugi quickly slapped a hand over his own mouths, afraid of his friends finding out all his secrets. He said something in his hand but it was muffled.

"I had a crush on Bakura when I was eight!" Malik said.

"How do we—I steal from Victoria's Secrets!—defeat this nightmare?" Anzu asked.

This went on for God knows how long. They would be seating in total silence until someone blurted out a secret and then everyone would be yelling out a secret. Yuugi kept his hand over his mouth the whole time, his face turning red. His words were muffled and he often felt his hand move involuntarily away.

"I read shoujo manga!"

"I sometimes dress up as a girl!"

"I like role-play!"

"I collect pictures of kittens!"

"I'm lactose intolerant!"

"But I see you drink milk at school all the time!"

"I know!"

"I like to read yaoi doujinshi!"

"I love—!" Yuugi began then he realized that he had control over his mouth again. "What?"

There was deafening silence in the hall as no one uttered a single word. No one blurted out their deepest secrets. No one made a sound. The door reappeared with a _whoosh_ and flew open for them, as if inviting them back. Everyone exchanged looks of surprise. "Did—did we just defeat the nightmare?" Malik asked in astonishment.

"It looks like it," Anzu muttered.

"But we didn't do anything," Yuugi said.

They all filed out one by one. The door slammed shut behind Honda and disappeared. A single piece of rectangular paper fluttered down from nowhere. On the paper, there was a stick figure with word bubbles over its head with random nonsense written in them. Three other stick figures stood to the side, as if watching the lone stick figure babble on and on.

"But we did do something," Honda said. He bent over to retrieve the piece of paper and tore it in two. "My biggest nightmare was my friends finding out all my secrets. And you guys found out in that room, or hallway, so I defeated my nightmare."

An unseen clock struck one.

"We have to get moving," Malik said, moving forward. "We're running out of time."

"Wha—?" Anzu began, but then she saw it. Down the hall, hidden in the shadows, was a staircase going up.

The small group of friends walked forward, no one talking to the other. After that nightmare, no wonder. They all saw a side of their friends that they didn't know was there. It was strange, but the nightmare almost pulled them together now that there were no walls.

But Yuugi was stuck on one thing. 'Who do I love?' he thought. That was a secret he didn't even know.

Up the stairs, on the third floor, Mai walked down a random direction aimlessly. "I swear, when I get my hands on Yami, I'll—I'll—!"

"You'll what?" someone asked from behind her.

Mai stopped dead in her tracks. Her veins turned to ice and her pulse quickened; she was afraid her heart would jump out of her ribcage. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and all her muscles clenched and unclenched painfully. She turned around slowly and came face to face with the Prince of Darkness.

"Yami…" she breathed out. He looked exactly as she remembered, except he looked more grown up.

"Long time, no see, Mai," Yami said, taking long strides towards the blonde. He was dressed in all black leather except he had what looked like a piece of torn, red material tied around his waist like a belt.

"I'd like to keep it that way, Yami," Mai said when she was sure she could speak properly. The last time she had seen him was when she was eight and Yuugi was five, when Yuugi ventured down to his parents' basement and…Mai quickly shook her head to clear those thoughts.

Yami narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "You know, you look a lot like your cousin—Yuugi. Same golden bangs framing an angelic face. Same jewel like eyes, except Yuugi's are more gorgeous."

Mai growled. "Don't you ever touch Yuugi, Yami. Or I'll have you locked up again!"

Yami barked out a laugh. "With what power, Mai? You didn't lock me away, Yuugi's parents did."

There was a thick silence between them. "You didn't tell Yuugi, did you?"

Yami shrugged. "Why would I?"

It was Mai's turn to laugh. "Because you're a bastard. You would do anything to hurt Yuugi or me! You say that you love him but all you've done is hurt him, from the first moment you met him, all you've done is hurt him! For God's sake, you killed his parents and he was almost sacrificed to the Shadow Council because of—!" Mai was cut off when Yami wrapped both his hands around her pale neck.

Mai gasped; he wasn't holding her neck tightly, but one squeeze and he could break her windpipe. Yami brought Mai close to his face and stared at her menacingly. "Listen, I would never do anything to hurt Yuugi. I love him, unlike you! You lie to him, he's been wondering around confused about his past and his parents his whole life because of you. You make me sick! Yuugi should be with me, I won't hurt him and I won't lie to him. But I need you out of the way before I can make him mine," Yami hissed.

Mai's eyes widened.

A door appeared beside the two. It swung open and inside was complete blackness and emptiness.

"Time to face your nightmare, Mai," Yami whispered.

"No, wait! No!"

But it was too late, Yami threw her in the black through the open door. It slammed shut behind Mai and disappeared with Yami.

Voices were heard from the staircase as people climbed up them.

"Finally! We can go somewhere!"

"It's like advancing levels in a video game!"

-/-

**Ranko: Wow! You won't believe how difficult it was to make this chapter. It was fun though and I enjoyed the foreshadowing between Mai and Yami. He-he! If you want to find out what they were talking about, you better stick around till the end of the story!**

**Yami: You make me look so evil! Especially when I was choking Mai!**

**Ranko: You weren't choking her, you were just holding her neck with your hands! Geez, drama queen.**

**Yuugi: What was with Honda's nightmare?**

**Ranko: (shrugs) I thought it would be funny.**

**Yuugi: Who do I love by the way?**

**Ranko: Grr! So many questions, child! You shall find out with the readers.**

**Yami: Even though it's kind of obvious.**

**Ranko: Oh yeah, it is totally obvious that Yuugi loves the psychotic stalker who trapped him and his friends in a game of life or death and almost killed his cousin!**

**Yami: (gloom)**

**Yuugi: Review? **


	9. Chapter 9

**Ranko: So tired…**

**Yami: Why?**

**Ranko: School has finally started! (cries)**

**Yuugi: Oh…does that mean that updates will be coming later?**

**Ranko: Unfortunately, yes, but there is good news! I got my drivers license today!**

**Yami: That's great…now let's answer some reviews.**

**Ranko: (pouts) Fine.**

**Doragon-chan: Thanks! Happy to know that all my work is appreciated!**

**AnimexXxGoddess: First of all, awesome screen name! Second, thanks so much! Personally, I feel like a get lazier and lazier with each new chapter I post. I find it an amazing accomplishment to make you so embarrassed that you had to close your laptop! Success! Yeah, I would die if some of my friends found out my secrets and I felt so bad for Malik. The different shippings can be confusing and there are a lot, but I'll tell you the ones in my story: puzzleshipping (YamixYuugi), tendershipping (BakuraxRyou), bronzeshipping (MarikxMalik), puppyshipping (SetoxJounouchi), wishshipping (JounouchixYuugi). Thanks again!**

**hikari no senshi17: Thanks so much! Yay for character development! This chapter will have some important stuff with Mai and Yami but it won't focus on them. Onward to Mai's nightmare!**

**FireFox Vixen: Super Special Awesome! Also, cool screen name.**

**Dinogirl: Thank you! I know I say that a lot but I mean it every time! Reviewers like you are what inspire me to write! You're awesome. And I liked the Little Red Riding Hood spin off too (the red sash around Yami's waist last chapter was part of Yuugi's cloak =3).**

**naomi: Thank you, I'll be here all week!**

**PomPoms: Oh my, goodness. You make me feel loved! And I agree, not enough dark puzzleshipping!**

**raindropdew: Yeah, I know right! I love little Yuugi, he makes me giggle! You shall find out who Yuugi loves soon enough, child!**

**CrimsonStrawberry17: I know, right? Personally, I was upset with myself for writing it like that. "Why did you stop there? Now you'll be thinking about it all night!" Anyway, thanks for the review! And your not the only one who wants to know about what happened in the basement, I'm on the edge of my seat just thinking about it! I can't wait to write that chapter!**

**Ranko: Wow…that was a lot, it took up an entire page!**

**Yami: Are you complaining?**

**Ranko: Not really…**

**Yuugi: Ranko twin does not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the Forbidden Game series!**

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

Mia woke up groggily. "Oh, my head," she groaned. "What happened?" She sat up on her knees and her forehead banged against something. "Ow! What the hell?" She rubbed the forming lump on the center of her forehead. She looked around and found herself trapped in a clear, triangular prism. "Wh-what? Where…?" She reached her hand out to see if it was real or not; she felt the smooth surface beneath her fingertips, feeling no resistance.

"What's going on?" she asked herself, her voice echoed back at her as if she were in a tunnel. She heard the panic in her voice.

"Your in your nightmare," a voice beside her answered.

Mai whipped her head around, her forehead connecting with a wall of the prism she did not see. Floating beside her prism in air was Yami with his arms crossed over his chest. "Yami? What? What do you mean?"

He didn't answer her, he simply looked down. Mai followed his line of sight and saw that they were hovering above a hall of mirrors.

"The only problem with video game, Honda, is that they get harder with each new level," Anzu said. Mai couldn't tell which Anzu said it though, there were so many.

The light from the mirrors bounced off of each other and beamed at Mai's prism, making a rainbow of colors, temporarily blinding her.

Malik stopped in the middle of the hall and hundreds of Maliks mimicked him. "Okay, who thought of all these mirrors?" he asked, irritation clear in his voice.

Anzu sheepishly raised her hand. "Probably me, I was thinking of my dance studio back home." Anzu looked at her figure in one of the mirrors and furrowed her eyebrows together. "Are my legs really that short or are these tricks mirrors?"

Malik snorted. "Now's not the time to be thinking about that. Let's get moving."

Yuugi looked up and down the hall, his own wide amethyst eyes staring back at him. "Take your pick—left or right?"

Malik looked down each direction, shrugged and said, "Left." He began walking down that way with his arms out in front of him so he wouldn't run into anything. Everyone followed after him.

Mai banged her fists against the walls of her prism. "Yuugi! It's me, Mai! Up here! Yuugi, answer me!"

Yuugi stopped in his tracks and looked above him directly into Mai's eyes. He furrowed his eyebrows together and looked around.

"Yuugi! Hurry up!" Honda called.

Yuugi jumped. "I'm coming," he called back, running to catch up.

"Yuugi!" Mai called again. "Damn it! Why can't he hear me?"

"You know why, Mai," Yami finally said.

"Wha—?"

"Your nightmare, you know what it is," Yami said, looking directly into Mai's eyes. "Loneliness."

"N-no…it can't be," Mai said, her eyes widening. "No!"

"No one there for you; all alone in a big, empty house, with no friends or family. Always alone." Yami knelt down beside Mai's prison and leaned in as close as he could to her face. "But it's not really a nightmare, is it? It's your reality. What would you give so that you could never feel that emptiness in your chest again?"

Mai held her gaze with Yami as long as she could, until she finally dropped her head. "I…" Her eyes lost their luster and they slid shut. She felt an aching in her chest, like there was a hole in her heart.

She remembered the house she lived in when she was younger. She was always alone in it. It was so big and empty and quiet. She could hear the echo of her shoes walking down the marble hall ringing in her ears. She covered her ears with her hands and clenched her eyelids together tightly.

"If you can help me get Yuugi, Mai, I will make sure you never feel that loneliness again," Yami said softly.

The prism around Mai shimmered away and disappeared like rain.

"What do you say, Mai?" Yami asked, still using that soothing voice. He held out his hand to her to shake. "Do we have a deal?"

Mai lowered her hands into her lap slowly and peaked open both of her eyes. She stared at the blurry image of Yami's hand in front of her. She looked up into Yami's crimson eyes that looked so gentle…

Mai slowly reached out her hand…

_Elsewhere ~_

Yuugi found all the mirrors a bit disconcerting. His wild eyed, worried look bouncing back at him in a hundred different directions. It gave him a bad feeling; not knowing what was behind the next corner. Yuugi imagined Yami and shuddered.

He looked at his own reflection; he remembered what Yami said to him.

_"Beautiful, innocent eyes and milky, white skin…"_

That wasn't what Yuugi saw now. He saw eyes full of wisdom and knowledge that he had gained from this experience, no longer naïve looking and childish. And his skin was grimy and sweaty, no longer flawless and smooth.

Yuugi tore his gaze away from his reflection and concentrated on walking forward. He tried to catch up with Malik who was taking longer strides. "Malik, slow down!" Yuugi said.

Malik was walking flawlessly through the mirrored hall. Navigating sharp corners and not running into any of the walls like Honda was doing.

"No, you guys hurry up—" Malik's voice responded from a the next bend. Then there was a flash. It reflected everywhere at once. Everyone jumped in surprise and Anzu screamed.

Honda, Anzu, and Yuugi ran around the next corner and found Malik standing impatiently beside a door with his arms crossed over his chest and his foot tapping against the floor.

The door was a mirror like the rest of the walls but Yuugi figured that it must be a door since it had a red button beside it like an elevator. Above the red button was a blue lightbulb that was rounded like a clown nose.

"This door just appeared," Malik said, and snapped his fingers together. "Like that. In that flash of light."

Around the next corner, the group heard irritated muttering. They rounded the corner and found Seto Kaiba pacing back and forth.

"Kaiba!" they all cried simultaneously.

The taller boy looked up and sighed, shoulders slumped. "Oh great, you guys."

"Good to see you too, sunshine," Malik said, moving forward. "So I guess that your nightmare is next."

Seto's eyes widened. "You can't be serious, you don't really believe all that shit that jackass was talking about in the parlor, do you?"

Honda raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Look around, dude. How else do you explain all of this?"

Seto looked at the mirror hallways around, his own icy blue calculating eyes staring back at him. If Yuugi didn't know any better, he would have thought that Kaiba looked confused. "It's obviously some cheap knockoff version of the KaibaCorp hologram system."

Malik stepped forward. "Do these looks like they can be caused by a hologram?" he asked, gesturing to the multiple scratches that were scabbing over or still bleeding; he showed Seto the finger that he stuck in the flame in the parlor. "Can a hologram do this?"

"Malik," Yuugi said, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Stop. He doesn't believe, he doesn't want to be believe, and we can't make him."

Malik took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yeah." He threw Seto a look and walked back towards the mirror door with Honda and Anzu.

"Yuugi—" Kaiba began, but Yuugi held up a hand to silence him.

"Kaiba, I have helped you a lot but now, in this situation we're in, you have to help me. You have to help us or we won't survive! So can you please, please, just try and help us…so we can help you," Yuugi said; his amethyst eyes no longer soft and caring, but something totally different.

And for once, Seto Kaiba was left speechless.

"Now lets face your nightmare," Yuugi said, holding out a hand to Kaiba.

Seto looked at it for a moment, his mouth open to say something; he snapped it close and shook his head. He grabbed Yuugi's hand and shook it firmly like a businessman. "Yeah."

Yuugi turned around to walk where his friends were waiting for him, then looked over his shoulder at Kaiba. "I'm guessing that you don't want to share what you're nightmare is?"

Seto pursed his lips and shook his head.

Yuugi sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, we'll find out eventually."

Malik was standing by the door with his finger hovering over the button when Seto and Yuugi showed up. "You ready to open the door to hell?" he asked.

Yuugi looked at Kaiba who nodded his head, shoulders set back squarely.

"Alright, let's do this," Malik said and then depressed the red button. The doors slid open like an elevator. Everyone waited with baited breath and when the doors opened, they stepped inside and into the Kaiba mansion foyer.

"What's going on?" Kaiba asked, he sounded like he was ready to snap at someone.

"You tell us, it's your nightmare," Yuugi said before Malik got the chance to.

Before anyone could comment on Yuugi's change of behavior they all heard a blood curling scream echo through the house. Kaiba was the first one to react. "That's Mokuba!" he cried. He ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, racing through the house to the source of the noise – Mokuba's bedroom.

"Wait, Kaiba!" Yuugi called, running off after him. "It could be a trap!" Yuugi had never set foot in the Kaiba mansion before and saying that it was overwhelmingly large was an understatement.

Yuugi didn't know if the others were following, but it would be easy to find out where he was going just by following the sound of screams and cries for help. Yuugi came stumbling into a very plain and bland room with only a few posters and hand drawn pictures scattered around the room.

It had plain blue walls and a clean white carpet that was stained a deep scarlet red. Kaiba was kneeling in the center of the room, holding a dying Mokuba in his arms. There was a deep stab wound in his gut and blood was drying at the corner of his mouth. His usual expressive blue eyes were dull and half lidded.

Kaiba was near tears and standing over the scene was a man dressed in all black, with a ski mask over his face and kitchen knife in his left hand that was dripping with blood.

Yuugi couldn't help but scream. He couldn't close his eyes for some reason; he couldn't turn his head away from what was going on. He vaguely registered Kaiba shouting at the murderer and the murderer yelling back at him. Kaiba gently moved Mokuba on his back where he lay bleeding to death as his big brother fought the man that killed him.

His fogged mind drew sharply back into focus when the ski mask was torn off the murderer's face and revealed Jounouchi under it with a look of pure psychotic rage in his warm honey brown eyes.

Yuugi screamed, tears freely rolling down his cheek without end. He rushed forward to separate the two but was picked up by his waist and carried out of the room. He cried and struggled in the person's arms. Time sped up and returned to its normal state.

"No! Let me go! I have to go in there and put a stop to it! Jounouchi! Kaiba! No, please! Mokuba!" he cried.

"No, Yuugi, Kaiba has to face his nightmare on his own. This is his own demon he has to face, you can't help him now," a soothing baritone voice said.

Yuugi froze and stopped struggling, but tears continued to flow from his eyes. He looked up and over his shoulder into a pair of sympathetic red eyes. "Yami?" Yuugi turned around to face him fully and took a fistful of his shirt in his fists. "You have to put a stop to this! Kaiba a-and Jounouchi they're—they're—!" Yuugi's lips quivered and he ducked his head into Yami's chest, getting his shirt wet with his tears.

Yuugi still heard noises coming from the room down the hall. Screams of pain and grunts as blows were exchanged; he absently wondered if the knife was still being used in the fight.

"Jounouchi, why are you doing this?" he heard Kaiba say.

"Because of you! You made me like this! You have caused me so much pain! A-and now…look what I've done!"

There was silence for a moment and then a scream and a thump; Yuugi could only guess that someone tackled the other to the floor. There was no sound again, and then…weeping.

"I'm sorry, Jou, I really am. I-I never meant to cause you this much pain. All I've ever really wanted was to make you happy. B-because, I love you, Jounouchi."

"K-Kaiba, I-I'm so s-sorry. I'm so sorry!" Jounouchi wept.

Yuugi felt numb, he didn't even realize that Yami had left. He walked slowly back towards the room and walked straight into Kaiba, bumping into Kaiba's chest. He looked up, surprised, then it all came crashing back down. Kaiba's blue eyes were watery and he had dry tear trails staining his cheeks. Yuugi's eyes filled up with fresh new tears. He threw his arms around the taller boy's waist and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Kaiba. I'm so sorry," he sobbed pathetically.

Kaiba took in a shaky breath and released it in a sigh. He patted Yuugi's head awkwardly and said, "I know my brother's not really dead, but…this pain…Malik's right, no hologram can cause this much pain."

Their three friends suddenly appeared, huffing for breath. "Hey guys," Malik said, trotting up to them. Yuugi released Kaiba to reveal puffy red eyes. Malik's eyes widened but he didn't say anything. "So, uh, we found a door out of here. Did—did you face your nightmare?"

Kaiba nodded his head. "Yeah."

They left Kaiba's nightmare, back out into the hall of mirrors. The elevator door slid shut behind them and a piece of paper with Kaiba's nightmare drawn on it was waiting for them. Yuugi snatched it up before anyone could see it and handed it to Kaiba. Seto looked at the piece of paper with pain in his eyes and crumpled it up.

Yuugi had no idea what was drawn on the paper. It could have been Mokuba dead or Jounouchi betraying him, or maybe Kaiba just in pain. But Yuugi knew it was private.

"Hey, guys!" someone cried, snapping Yuugi out of his thoughts. He looked up, startled, and saw Mai running towards them, waving happily. Yuugi made a sound that was a giggle and a sigh of relief. He ran to meet her half way and hugged her tightly.

"Mai!" he cried in pure happiness.

"Hey, Yuugi! Good to see you!" she cheered, ruffling his spiky locks.

"Mai, I can't believe it's you! What happened to you?" he asked. "Have you faced your nightmare?"

Mai shrugged and smirked down at him. Before she could answer his question, if she was even going to, their friends walked up and all started to chat with Mai and hug her. The subject was dropped and forgotten.

"So, catch me up on what's happened so far," Mai said.

Everyone started to casually, and excitingly, talk about all the events that have transpired. Whether you were a stranger or not, you could talk to Mai comfortably about anything. She just had that special trait.

"Wow! That sounds so intense!" Mai chimed in.

But something just seemed off about Mai, Yuugi noticed. She was acting different. Her smile seemed strained and she was _trying_ to keep a good conversation. Mai didn't have to try, it just came to her naturally to be open with everyone she meets. It also seemed like she was avoiding Yuugi, and he would get to the bottom of it.

Mai's mood mellowed. "Yeah, that damn Shadow Man…"

Yuugi thought of Yami and how he had dragged him out of that room. Maybe he really did care of Yuugi, but what were Yuugi's feelings for him?

Mai could feel Yuugi's eyes burning a hole in her back. She knew he knew something was off.

_Mai slowly reached out her and slapped Yami across the face. She spit on the ground and glared at the Shadow Man in front of her. "How dare you even suggest that I give Yuugi to you? How dare you? You heartless bastard."_

_Yami smirked and chuckled low in his throat. "No matter, Mai. With or without your help, Yuugi will be mine. No one will stand in my way. Not you or anyone else. Now…" Yami snapped his fingers and Mai fell to the ground in the mirrored hall, her terrified expression reflected back at her. "Get out of my sight."_

_Then Yami disappeared._

Mai shook her head to clear those thoughts and plastered on another fake smile.

She would do anything to keep her cousin safe and out of Yami's grasp. She would lie to him, she would deceive him…she would sacrifice her own life for him.

He was her only real family left and she never wanted to be alone again.

Mai clenched her fist tighter around the rectangular piece of paper with her nightmare drawn on it.

_Elsewhere ~_

Ryou wondered down a hall of mirrors. His reflection being bounced back at him a hundred times magnified the dark circles under his eyes, his untidy hair, and his terrified doe eyes. "Hello? Is anyone there? Hello?"

-/-

**Ranko: Wow, I can't believe I finished that chapter in a day!**

**Yami: I guess that explains why it's so short and sloppily written.**

**Ranko: Pretty much! Big thank you towards Inspiration's Wonderer and hikari no senshi17 for the suggestion for Seto's nightmare. I can see the conclusion just over the horizon for this story and I estimate at least five more chapters of The Shadow Game, but don't start crying yet, there will be a sequel. I haven't really thought about it yet but I just know!**

**Yami: We hope the lameness and shortness of the chapter didn't bore you to death!**

**Yuugi: Yami! That's taking it a little too far!**

**Ranko: Took the words right out of my mouth, Yami.**

**Yuugi: (sighs) I'm surrounded by idiots.**

**Ranko: Oh yeah, you experienced character development in this chapter. How did it feel?**

**Yuugi: Um, kinda tingly.**

**Yami: Review!**

**Ranko: Ugh, school… **

**Yuugi: Also, Ryou's nightmare is next chapter so if you have anything you want to see, please leave it in your review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ranko: Okay, let's make this quick guys!**

**Yami: Why?**

**Yuugi: Yeah, what's the rush?**

**Ranko: I have homework to work on!**

**Yami: Oh…**

**Ranko: (holds up list) I am so happy about all the reviews but since I am getting more each chapter I can't answer all of them, only the ones that ask questions or concerns. Sorry, but I still appreciate all the reviews I get!**

**AnimexXxGoddess: Yeah, your screen name is cool! It took me forever to come of with Ranko twin when I joined this site (Yami: Fail). And I know what you mean, sometimes when I read a story, I have to turn away from it and try to compose myself, most of the time it's puzzleshipping fics. Aibou, what Yami calls Yuugi in the Japanese version, means partner but in modern Japan it's slang for gay (Yuugi: Uh). Mou hitori no boku, what Yuugi calls Yami, basically means other me. Thanks for the review!**

**hikari no senshi17: Thanks for the suggestion!**

**Dinogirl: I almost had Mai agree to Yami's deal, that would have taken the story in another direction. But at the last second I decided not to. Also, what you said about Yami not being able to touch Yuugi I thought, "Oh crap" I didn't follow the rules of my own story! Oh no! But anyway, yeah, let's go with what you said. Yes, there will be a sequel! I can't wait! Because the Forbidden Game books are a trilogy, so…yeah. It will have dark puzzleshipping and all that fun stuff X3. Thanks for the review!**

**Inspiration's Wonderer: Thanks for the review and confidence boost! Fear not, Ryou shall be saved in this chapter! Kinda…you'll see what I mean when you read it. **

**Ranko: Heads up!**

**Yami: (looks up) What?**

**Yuugi: Spoiler alert!**

**Ranko: For those of you who have read the Forbidden Game books, I've stolen Summer's nightmare for this chapter and Ryou's Summer…won't say anymore.**

**Yami: (yawns) Ranko twin doesn't own anything! Do we really have to repeat this all the time?**

**Ranko: Yes! Enjoy!**

-/-

The steadily growing group of friends walked down the hall of mirrors, no one uttering a single word. Then, the sound of weeping broke the silence. Everyone stopped and listened carefully, their ears straining to hear where the sound was coming from. Yuugi eyes widened and he sucked in a sharp breath. "That's Ryou!" he cried. He took of running around the next corner.

"Yuugi! Wait!" Mai called out, running after him. When she came around the next corner, with the rest of the group behind her, they found Yuugi crouching beside a crying Ryou. The white haired boy was curled up in a tight ball, his face hidden in his arms and his tiny frame wracking with sobs. He was huddled against a door much like the one to Seto's nightmare, with the red button and blue light.

Yuugi put a comforting hand on the boy's shaking shoulder. "Ryou?" he asked softly. Ryou's body froze and he peaked up from his arms at Yuugi.

He looked up fully with wide eyes and sniffled. "I-is is really you, Yuugi?" he asked.

Yuugi nodded and smiled sweetly. Malik approached Ryou and crouched down next to Yuugi.

Ryou's eyes flickered towards Malik and his doe eyes swam with fresh tears. "Really, really you?"

Yuugi put his arms around the boy's shoulders and pulled him into a hug. "Yes, Ryou. We're here."

"I-I've been alone for so long. I kept seeing myself and o-other people…and…" Ryou whimpered into Yuugi's shoulder.

"Who've you seen, Ryou?" Malik asked, rubbing the boy's back soothingly.

"Uh, s-sometimes Bakura and sometimes…h-him. He scares me Yuugi!" Ryou cried harder, getting Yuugi's shirt wet.

"Him?" Yuugi asked softly. "Him, who?"

"A-Akefia," Ryou responded quietly, as if speaking his name was taboo.

Malik 'tsk'-ed. "That must be the Shadow Man that looks like Bakura," he said more to himself than everyone else.

Yuugi patted Ryou's back. "Well, there's nothing to be afraid of now, we're here. We'll protect you." Ryou sniffled. "And we'll find Bakura too."

Ryou lifted his head from Yuugi's shoulder and managed a watery smile.

"Poor little guy," Honda cooed. "It must be your nightmare next."

Everyone shot Honda a look; even Seto shook his head in disappointment.

"Nice going, jackass," Malik muttered.

They explained the nightmares to Ryou and everything that happened to them so far. They explained everything they had to do and the time limit. Ryou wasn't as disturbed as Yuugi thought he would be.

"Anything to get out of here," Ryou commented as Malik helped his to his feet.

"I know what you mean, can someone say claustrophobia?" Malik asked.

"Claustrophobia," Honda responded slightly.

Malik punched Honda in the gut. Everyone shook their heads and walked towards the elevator door. Yuugi had his finger hovering over the red button; he turned toward Ryou as he approached. "Any chance that you want to tell us what your nightmare is before we open it?"

Ryou blushed and twiddled his thumbs. "It was a messy room."

Silence followed.

"A…messy room?" Honda asked. "Oh the horror!"

Malik punched him in the gut again.

"No, really Ryou, its best if you tell us now," Anzu said.

"But I—" Ryou began but was cut off by Yuugi.

"Don't worry, Ryou, you don't have to tell us your nightmare if your not comfortable with it. We'll deal with it when we get there," Yuugi said helpfully.

Ryou sighed.

Yuugi pressed the button and the door slid open revealing a messy room.

"You see!" Rou cried in frustration.

It was Ryou's room. Ever since Yuugi had known Ryou, his room, no, his whole house, has been messy It was always cluttered and you could never see any of the art that decorated the house. Ryou's mom and sister passed away when Ryou was only a child. Ryou's father was an archeologist so he was always traveling, leaving Ryou in their apartment to live alone. And cleaning was not Ryou's forte, so he usually left the house in disarray. The only time the house ever got cleaned was when Bakura would come over, surprisingly; the man was a neat freak.

Ryou's bedroom always collected the most clutter. You could never his hand made quilt or tie-dyed curtains because there was always something hanging on it or piled up in front of it. But in this room, Yuugi couldn't even see the bed. There was a small patch of open space in front of the closet, but that was about it.

"Wow," Malik tried to maintain his shock but it was hard. He grew up with Ishizu as a sister; everything always had to be orderly and square.

Honda giggled.

Yuugi sighed, not nearly as amused. "Alright, everybody, let's go in. I guess we just have to clean it up, there must be a door somewhere along the far walls."

Honda groaned. "I hate cleaning!" Anzu took Honda by the ear and dragged him into the room.

They all squeezed into the space between the closet and the piles. The door slid shut behind them and vanished.

Honda shuddered. "Can someone say claustrophobia?"

"Claustrophobia," Malik said. Honda threw the blond a look.

Anzu whistled. "This is one messy room. Ryou, how can you live like this?"

Ryou huffed and threw his arms up in defeat. "My real room isn't this bad. This is my nightmare!"

"Well, why this kind of nightmare?" Anzu asked, her tone not softening.

"My sister used to tease me about my room being so messy and when our grandmother came to visit she nearly passed out from the sight of my room," Ryou said, his eyes filling with fresh tears.

Yuugi lightly jabbed Anzu with his elbow. "Don't make him feel bad," he whispered. "Okay, let's try and clear a path around the edges and check every wall for a door."

Everyone took on different tasks to help clean the room. Yuugi couldn't believe how much junk had accumulated in Ryou's room. Piles of clothes, year old magazines, food everywhere, mismatched shoes, pens and pencils alike, musty towels, and anything else that might take up space all piled high.

Anzu squealed and jumped back. "Oh my, God! Spiders! Ryou, haven't you ever heard of Raid?"

Ryou shrugged. "I believe in live and let live."

It really was a nightmare of some sorts—a nightmare of tedium. But they were making progress. Mai and Malik were working with vigor and Kaiba was working with fastidious precision. Honda was trying to look like he was working and Anzu was too busy dancing around any spider she saw.

Yuugi sighed and shook his head. He picked up a box of odds and ends and underneath looked like a pressed flower. But it had the wrong shape. Yuugi looked more closely at it and…oh God. It was a dead mouse. Yuugi bit his bottom lip to keep from squealing like a girl. He went a surprising shade of green and shuddered.

Malik noticed the mouse too and scraped it up with an old calendar and threw it into the closet before Anzu could see it.

The trash seemed to be growing and it was getting worse. The stuff they found was not something you would find in a bedroom, more in a dump. No one was smiling anymore.

Mai picked up an old Easter basket and paused. An awful smell was coming from it. She used one long finger to move aside the cellophane grass and her face convulsed. Inside the basket was a solid mass of white, writhing maggots.

"God!" she cried. In one fluid motion she threw it at the closet door and scattered a shower of white. Honda shouted in surprise and bolted. Anzu and Ryou shrieked and this time, so did Yuugi.

"Uh, Ryou, what exactly did your sister tease you about?" Yuugi asked.

"Oh, um, she said that things were growing in it. She said it looked like an earthquake hit it. That it would attract bugs and that someday someone will go in it and never come out," Ryou reported with wide eyes, getting as far away from the closet as possible.

Seto's eyes widened and slowly nodded his head. "Uh-_huh_."

Mai took in a shaky breath and let it out slowly. "And just what kind of nightmare do you have about it?" she asked.

Ryou looked at Mai and bit his lower lip to keep it from trembling. "Oh, uh—it's like, first I hear a scratching noise and then I look and see cockroaches the size of sneakers. And then I see stuff on the floor, fungus, like, a column of fungus, but it has a mouth and it's howling. Howling fungus."

Everyone was staring at Ryou with wide eyes and a few stray tears fell down Ryou's cheeks. "I-it may not sound scary but it was. It was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life."

Red lights went off in Yuugi's head. He looked around and noticed everyone frozen in place, from fear or shock, Yuugi couldn't tell. "It sounds pretty scary to me," he commented. "Come on guys, we have to get moving."

"I-I think your right," Honda said, and began to clean with more energy.

They ran out of room in the closet and now they were just throwing things in front of them behind them, like making a tunnel. The trash got grosser and scarier the deeper they got, Yuugi refused to touch some of the things he found with his hands; he wore t-shirts like oven mitts so he wouldn't have to.

Then came the bugs.

First, it was a noise, a scraping and scratching noise. Yuugi stiffened and turned slowly.

A cockroach, flat and brown, but it was huge. It was much bigger than Yuugi's foot. It crawled out of the floor vent and made a strange clicking sound with its back legs. One more, then two more followed the first one. Ryou shrieked and pointed a shaky finger at them.

Yuugi reached for a water glass to revive him and then quickly snatched his hand back. Crickets, and a lot of them, were piled on top of each other in the water glass; there were so many that some were falling over the rim. Their antennas twitched and Yuugi shuddered, imaging feeling all those legs and antennas on his skin, crawling all over him.

Smaller roaches crawled out of a discarded candy box and other bugs of a different size crushed the delicate paper cups as they came squirming out.

Ryou was so white that there were blue patches under his eyes.

Iridescent green beetles the size of footballs climbed the walls and moths the size of small kites clung onto the ceiling.

"Come on, Ryou, help us!" Mai called, panic clear in her voice as everyone raked through the trash. Disturbed ants swarmed out of it, forming thick trails over the debris. Even Malik and Seto were freaking out at this point.

Ryou didn't move, he just stared at a beetle, too terrified to move.

The ground began to rock beneath Yuugi's feet. At first, he thought it was because of the garbage shifting. Then he remembered what Ryou said: _"She said it looked like an earthquake hit it."_

"Oh no," he breathed. "We have to hurry!" Yuugi yelled the same time Mai did. "Go, go!"

They were clawing through the garbage, tearing just enough away from the wall to look for the door. They climbed on the smaller mounds, wading through them.

The ground shook again.

"Hurry!" Yuugi yelled. "Hurry, hurry!" It seemed like he couldn't yell loud enough.

The towering pile of rubbish quaked.

Everyone was working frantically, even Honda and Anzu, only Ryou was rooted in horror.

"The door!" Malik yelled, pointing. Yuugi's head snapped up and he felt relief flood in; he saw the rectangular molding of the door.

"It opens in!" Seto called. "We have to move all this out of the way first!"

They all climbed over each other, ripping through the garbage. A cockroach crawled onto Yuugi's legs and he kicked it away without stopping his work. He would scream later.

The room shook again and Yuugi looked up and gasped; there were ominous cracks in the ceiling. Mai and Malik cleared away the last of the trash away from the door the same moment.

With a thankful sobbed, Yuugi helped pull it open. Then he looked back at the room.

It wasn't a room anymore, it was hell.

There were huge cracks in the floor with monstrous, mutant bugs crawling out. The ceiling was buckling and the plaster was falling down. The moths, now disturbed, were flying around the room. And growing among the mess was something Yuugi didn't recognize, and something he didn't want to.

Honda and Anzu stumbled out of the room and into the hall of mirrors. Seto and Malik exchanged looks and nodded; they followed the pair out of the room. Mai held the door open for Yuugi. Yuugi could barely hear Mai yell, "Come on!" over the rumbling as the room began to shake again.

"Ryou, come on!" Yuugi yelled desperately.

Ryou turned towards the voice, and looked at Yuugi with blind brown eyes. He took a step towards Yuugi.

One of the growths stood up, blocking Ryou's path. It was a column of fungus. Something opened wide at the top of the fungus and made a strange gurgling, screaming sound. Howling fungus.

The other growths straightened as well and made the God-awful noise that made the blood run cold. They doubled, tripled, and blocked Ryou's path. He shrieked and stumbled back towards the closet.

"Ryou, no! Come back!" Yuugi yelled, his throat tightening.

The ground heaved and the garbage that they had cleared to make a path was again covered up. The mutant bugs skittered toward Ryou and the fungus howled. Ryou's shrieks became full-throated screams.

"Ryou!" Yuugi cried. Adrenaline kicked in and Yuugi plunged into the garbage, trying to climb it.

"Yuugi! Help me!" Ryou called from somewhere in the garbage.

"Yuugi!" Mai called. "Come back!"

But Yuugi didn't hear his cousin call for him. He searched the garbage for Ryou but couldn't see him. His eyes filled with tears and everything became blurry. Ryou's screams were fading.

"Yuugi, I can't hold the door!"

Ryou! Where are you? Yuugi continued to search.

And then the screams stopped.

Everything froze for a second.

No noise, no rumbling, no movement.

Nothing.

"_Ryou_!" Yuugi shrieked at the top of his lungs as the howling started up again.

The rumbling started again.

Yuugi was about to dive into the heart of the mess but Mai grabbed her cousin's arm and pulled him backwards.

"It's going to come down!"

"No—we have to get Ryou!" Yuugi cried, still screaming Ryou's name. Tears fell freely down his face now.

"We can't get anybody! Come on!"

"No—_Ryou_!" Yuugi shrieked, turning again.

Mai ducked and caught Yuugi by his waist. Yuugi found himself flying over Mai's shoulder and out the door; he was caught by Malik and Seto. Through the open door, Yuugi saw the ceiling collapse. His mouth opened in a soundless scream. Mai leaped out and fell beside them.

Then the door slammed shut as the toppling piles fell against it.

Yuugi stared, unblinking ahead of him.

There was no words spoken, it was silent, so silent that they all heard a ringing in their ears. The only sound made was their harsh breathing.

"Look," Honda breathed.

The door was disappearing.

Yuugi shook his head frantically and hopped to his feet. "No, no, no, no, no!" He ran towards the door and threw himself against it, trying to pull it open, but it wouldn't budge. "No!" There was no more door, just a mirrored wall.

Yuugi almost screamed in fright when he saw a boy about his height in a ragged state and staring at him frantically. Then he realized that boy was him.

He saw everyone else in the mirror, all looking worse for wear.

"When Malik was late coming out of Anzu's nightmare, the door didn't disappear. It stayed there—but…this time…" Yuugi whispered, afraid to finish the sentence.

"God," Malik breathed out.

No one dared to say the words, except Seto.

"He's dead."

Yuugi clenched his eyes shut and fisted his hands. He shook his head and whispered. "It's not fair. He never hurt anybody."

There was silence in the room, then Yuugi punched the mirror wall. Everyone jumped in surprise, Yuugi was never violent about anything. Yuugi was crying, tears falling down his face at a steady rate; he couldn't breath properly. The mirror had cracked under Yuugi's fist but it immediately fixed itself.

"It's not fair! It's not fair, damn you!" Yuugi cried out in frustration. "He didn't deserve it! It's not fair!"

"Yuugi, it's okay, calm down," Mai spoke soothingly in Yuugi's ear. They were all trying to hold him. He realized he wasn't in control of himself. He was trembling violently and his throat was raw from screaming.

As suddenly as it came, the hysterical energy came crashing down and it took Yuugi with it. He fell to his knees on the floor and wrapped his arms around his body to stop the shaking.

He felt arms wrap around his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

"It's okay," Mai said, stroking his hair like she did when they were children. "It's okay to be upset."

No, they didn't understand. It was Yuugi's fault. He got them into this mess; Yami wanted him, not anyone else. If he had kissed Yami in the Little Red Riding Hood nightmare, he could have gotten Ryou out.

A piece of paper fluttered down and on it was a drawing of a messy room. In black sharpie, a big **X** marked the picture.

As if to mock Yuugi, a clock struck two.

-/-

**Ranko: No! Ryou!**

**Yami: You're the one who killed him off, you shouldn't be crying!**

**Ranko: That's how it happened in the story! Anyway, where's Yuugi?**

**Yami: He's in another room, crying.**

**Ranko: Oh…anyway, I'm sorry that I killed off Ryou, but that's how it went in the Forbidden Games and I am trying to make this as close as it can possibly be without it being classified as copyright!**

**Yami: Pretend the last five seconds never happened in your life…**

**Ranko: It took me forever to write Ryou's nightmare, I was freaking out! I hate anything with more than four legs. I mean, can you imagine a centipede, with all those little tiny legs crawling up your arm?**

**Yami: Ranko! Stop freaking the readers out!**

**Ranko: Woops…okay, so next chapter has Bakura and some awesome angst! I have completely forgotten about Bakura so that's why you haven't seen much of him in this story. Also, next chapter I'm kinda going off script a little bit so it might take longer.**

**Yami: If you guys have any ideas for Bakura's nightmare let us know in your review. Now, I have to go comfort Yuugi. (leaves)**

**Ranko: Personally, this was my favorite chapter. Make sure to review and tell me what you think! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Ranko: Wow, I a lot of people are mad at me for killing off Ryou.**

**Yuugi: (crying) You deserve it!**

**Ranko: Woah, calm down! Blame L.J. Smith, not me! I was just following the story. But one review did make me laugh, they said I should have killed Honda…probably should have.**

**Yami: Well, you still have reviews to answer.**

**Ranko: (looks at list) Lets see…**

**hikari no senshi17: I'M SORRY! I was sad too! Ryou's nightmare would definitely be my nightmare. I can't imagine dying a death like that. Screaming for help as you're slowly being dragged under, losing sight of the light and the only thing you can feel is the crushing of your windpipe and the cold bugs climbing all over you…(depressed) What was I talking about again? Anyway, thanks for the suggestion!**

**Inspiration's Wonderer: Thank you…WAH! I'm sorry! I can't bring Ryou back! (hands you a tissue). Don't worry about Bakura though, I won't go too hard on him.**

**AnimexXxGoddess: I now I'm evil, I'm still working on my maniacal laugh though. I know, Ryou is just so tiny and innocent and scared, it was hard for me to write Ryou dying. I can't stand bugs! Ah! Hate them, and big roaches like that? No way! You don't have to worry about not knowing what the Forbidden Game books are, they are not related to Yu-Gi-Oh in any way, it's just my favorite trilogy and I wanted to do a crossover of YGO and the Forbidden Games. Thanks for the review!**

**Just A Chess Piece: HA-HA! Yes! Now my ego is roughly ¼ the size of Seto Kaiba's, and that's saying something. Thanks for the review and the kind words. The Forbidden Game books aren't scary at all. Yami thinks the books are good, and if Yami likes it then that's a good sign! Right? I know, I hate Ryou's nightmare too. Ah! Hate bugs! Ha! Take that Yami! (Yami: Now look what you've done, you've given her a big head…thanks a lot.) **

**Dinogirl: Thanks for the suggestion, I think you'll like this chapter!**

**Yami: Yuugi's still upset so I'll do the disclaimer. Ranko twin basically owns nothing except her laptop and some of the ideas in this story.**

**Ranko: (receiving death glare from Yuugi) Enjoy?**

-/-

"What's taking them so long?" Malik said.

Anzu, Mai, Seto, and Honda had gone off to see if they could find Bakura, or a blanket or water—or _anything_ really—for Yuugi.

Yuugi was in pretty bad shape. He was slumped against the wall opposite of the door to Ryou's nightmare—or, where the door used to be. He just stared at his reflection with an empty look in his eyes. He half expected to see Ryou suddenly appear, his hair tousled and brown eyes wide. He would laugh and say, "Sorry I took so long", because he always put others before himself.

Ryou would come walking out of that mirror any second now. Any second…

Nothing.

Yuugi hid face in his knees and pulled his legs closer to his chest.

Yuugi met Ryou in kindergarten; they were both the shy type and didn't have any friends. Ryou would always get picked on a little more than Yuugi because of his feminine features and Yuugi would always take care of the boy. An instant friendship was born and ever since then they had always been there for each other.

But Yuugi blew it. He let Ryou down. He didn't protect him. Yuugi should have been the one to die in that room, not Ryou. It was all his fault.

Malik looked at Yuugi who was curled up against the wall. He had barely spoken two words since they came back from Ryou's nightmare and he was starting to worry for the boy. But…Malik looked down the hall where their friends disappeared. They have been gone a long time, maybe he should look for them. He looked uncertainly at Yuugi and sighed.

"I'm going to go look for them, they've been gone too long and they might be in trouble." Malik looked down at Yuugi again; he didn't move an inch, like he hadn't even heard him. Malik crouched down in front of Yuugi. "I want you to stay here. Promise me you will not move," Malik said slowly and clearly, as if talking to a child.

Yuugi barely moved his head up and down.

'Good enough,' Malik thought. He stood up and said, "Okay, I'll be back in a minute." He then took off down the hall that their friends had walking down.

Yuugi had barely heard Malik; pictures and images flashed in his mind, like he was looking through a photo album.

Ryou when he was still in kindergarten, in his cute, little uniform. Ryou going into middle school with Yuugi, his hair down his shoulders now. Ryou on his first day of high school. Ryou meeting Bakura for the first time. Ryou complaining about Bakura for the first time. Ryou with the happy twinkle in his eyes when he started dating Bakura. Ryou blushing like mad after he had his first kiss with Bakura. Ryou happy. Ryou sad. Ryou sleepy. Ryou thinking. Ryou in the early morning sunlight. Ryou laughing and smiling.

Ryou crying for help with tears in his eyes.

Yuugi clenched his fists. "Ryou," he whimpered.

Ryou was a good person; he didn't have a mean bone in his body. He didn't deserve to die in his nightmare. He deserved happiness. He deserved the entire world. Yuugi's head snapped up and fresh tears filled his eyes. Oh God, what about Bakura? How would he feel when he found out Ryou have died?

They had plans! They were going to get married, they were going to travel the world together and be happy! What about their fairytale plan? Bakura would stay in Domino for a year and wait for Ryou to finish high school. They were going to live together, Bakura was going to get a job.

Ryou got a letter in the mail just last week; the college he had always dreamed of going to was giving him a full four year ride. Bakura and Ryou were supposed to be happy, damn it!

Yuugi had to fix this, and he knew exactly how to do it.

He stood up and started to wonder the hall of mirrors, his anxious eyes staring back at him every time he looked around a corner. He didn't listen to Malik, but right now, he didn't care.

"Yami!" Yuugi called at the top of his lungs. He stopped in his tracks in the middle of a random hall, he didn't even know where he was anymore. "Yami, come out! I have to talk to you!"

"So," a soft voice spoke up behind him. "Did you miss me?"

Yuugi turned around and looked at Yami. He nearly lost it right there. Yami was standing there, with his arms crossed over his chest, looking as beautiful as ever…and without a speck of dirt on him.

Yuugi couldn't get the image of Ryou's frightened face out of his mind. His eyes pleading for Yuugi to help him. His terrified screams filling his ears, slowly fading. Ryou sinking into the garbage.

Yuugi clenched his jaw and glared at Yami. "Give him back," he growled out.

Yami raised a surprised eyebrow and placed his hands on his hips. "Why would I do that? I warned you didn't I? That someone would make it? I _told_ you, didn't I?"

Yuugi took in a shuddering breath and released it slowly. He tried to keep his anger in check but with that indifferent look on Yami's face, it was hard. "Please, give. Him. Back."

A tenderness touched Yami's eyes. "I can't do that Yuugi, I wish I could but I—" Yami was quickly cut off when Yuugi leaped forward and pressed their lips firmly together.

Yuugi had to stand on the tip of his toes to be at the same height as Yami. He cupped the taller boy's face in his hands and pressed his lips more harshly together. Yami just stood there, motionless. His eyes were wide and unbelieving, his hand hovering awkwardly above Yuugi waist.

Yuugi noticed this and took Yami's arms and wrapped them around his waist. Yami sighed into the kiss and closed his eyes in pure bliss, turning his head to deepen the kiss. He pulled their bodies closer together.

They stayed like this for a while, until Yuugi's lungs began to burn. He needed air. Yuugi pulled away, still in Yami's arms. They rested their foreheads together, their breaths intermingling as they both sucked in air. Both of their faces were flushed and Yami's ruby eyes were twinkling with happiness. Yuugi had never seen that look in Yami's eyes.

Yuugi bit his swollen lip and closed his eyes, not able to face Yami's loving gaze. Yuugi took in a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do. He pushed away from Yami, he immediately felt cold. Yami's eyes widened in surprise, his still open arms empty.

"I've given you your kiss," Yuugi said quietly. "Now bring Ryou back and send him home."

Yami stared in complete shock for a moment. Then he dropped his arms and shook his head sadly. Yuugi felt his eyes burn with tears at Yami's dejected expression. He looked so defenseless and so human. Yuugi put a hand over his mouth to keep from crying.

"I'm sorry, Yuugi, I can't bring him back to life and I can't send him home," Yami replied sadly.

Yuugi's head snapped up. "But you said—!"

Yami shook his head. "I can't rescind any offer that's been rejected, I'm sorry." And by the tone of Yami's voice, Yuugi could tell that he truly meant it. Yuugi felt his heart break in his chest. "I want to give him back to you, Yuugi, but…I just can't."

"It's not like you can just keep him here forever!" Yuugi cried in outrage.

Yami smiled. "You're right, I can't."

An image appeared in the mirror wall beside Yuugi. Yuugi gasped—it was Ryou! He was curled up in a ball, dressed in all white, trapped in a glass bubble that was suspended in air. It was like looking at something through a display case. Yuugi rushed to the wall and started banging on it.

"Ryou! Ryou!" he called, but the boy would not wake up.

Yami came up behind Yuugi. "He can't hear you, he's not even in the house anymore. He's in another world, sleeping and dreaming good dreams. After that ordeal, he's probably very tired."

"How—?" Yuugi asked, never looking away from his friend.

"This universe is strange. You feel things here, you get hurt here, but you do not die. You can die in this world but you do not die, you simply move on to another realm. It's quite strange really. Usually you move world to world at random, but I made sure that Ryou would be taken care of," Yami said sweetly.

"So, he's still alive somewhere?" Yuugi asked hopefully.

Yami nodded. "Yes, if you can win the Game that is."

"I plan to," Yuugi said with a new determination.

Yami chuckled. "Good luck with that. Oh, and Yuugi, thanks for the kiss." Yami winked and then disappeared before Yuugi could yell at him.

But Yuugi noticed that Yami left a door on the opposite wall. It was oak and stood out in the clear, mirror hall. Yuugi looked up and down the hall, expecting someone to pop out and yell, "Surprise!" He couldn't tell if this was a trap, or a door to a nightmare. He knew that he couldn't stand out in the hall forever, so, throwing caution to the wind, he grasped the doorknob and opened the door.

On the other side, it was completely black. Yuugi immediately knew something was wrong, but he couldn't just leave. So he set his tiny shoulders back squarely and stepped blindly into the dark. When the door slammed shut behind him, he couldn't see anything. He could even see his hand if he held it right in front of his face.

Yuugi couldn't tell if this was a room with many other things in it or it if was truly of a room made up of darkness. Yuugi wondered around with his hands out in front of him to feel for anything and every time he took a step he made sure that there was solid ground to step on.

He didn't know how long he was walking around aimlessly but he suddenly saw a light. A tiny little flicker of a light. Like a lone firefly in a night with no moon or stars. Yuugi knew it could possibly be a trap, but what did he have to lose?

Instead of a trap or a psychotic killer with a knife, Yuugi found a security panel. It was something that one would see in the security room in a mall, broadcasting different areas and sections of the mall so security guards would know when trouble arose. This security panel was the same, except it was broadcasting different areas of the house.

One of the screens showed the hall of mirrors and another showed the foyer. One of the cameras was recording Yuugi's group of friends. Malik had caught up with the rest of them and now they were looking for Yuugi or Bakura. One of the screens was playing and rewinding a certain event, as if the system had gotten stuck and was now repeating it over and over again.

It was Ryou's nightmare…when he died.

Yuugi saw himself in the picture, he was reaching out for Ryou, stretching out his arm so far to the point of pain. A giant cockroach climbed up his back and that was when Mai came on and knocked it off. Why did Yuugi not remember that? Mai grabbed Yuugi around the waist and he started thrashing. The video was silent but Yuugi could still hear himself screaming Ryou's name.

Then he saw it.

The exact moment Ryou died.

Yuugi was so caught up in the moment that he didn't even really see how Ryou died.

It looked like he was crying out for Yuugi, but then one of those mutant bugs crawled up his front and covered his face with its huge belly, silencing Ryou's screams. The mold was howling and giant moths were flying around Ryou. Like an army of ants collectively picking up a crumb, a swarm of mutant bugs picked Ryou up and dragged him into a collection of mold and garbage.

The video repeated itself.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Yuugi didn't know how long he stood there and just watched that terrible moment in horrified fascination over and over again.

Then Yuugi felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Yuugi nearly jumped ten feet in the air and he swiveled around and came face to face with the owner of the hand.

Bakura.

Yuugi gasped and felt fresh tears pool in his eyes. He looked over his shoulder at the video that was still playing and then back towards the white haired boy. "Bakura…"

Bakura wasn't looking at Yuugi, he was looking over Yuugi, at the screen that was replaying Ryou's death. "It's funny…no matter how many times you watch something, it never loses its meaning. If you repeat a word over and over with pause, it just becomes a word with no meaning. But if you watch the Titanic, you still cry, no matter how many times you watch it."

"I'm so sorr—" Yuugi began.

"I found the exit to my nightmare a while ago, but…I waited for you, Yuugi. I knew you would come. I watched you after Ryou died." Yuugi's mouth dropped open and then it quickly snapped shut again when Bakura firmly took both of Yuugi's shoulders and started to shake him violently. "Why didn't you save him, Yuugi?" Bakura cried. "You were right there! You could have saved him! You let him DIE!"

Tears rolled down Yuugi's round cheeks and he dropped his head in shame. "I know, I know. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. It should have been me." Bakura's grip loosened and Yuugi fell to his knees, hiding his face and his friends and started to weep, repeating those words.

Bakura sniffled; Yuugi looked up in surprise and saw tears coming from Bakura's eyes as well. Bakura never cried and when he did…Ryou was the only one who saw his tears. Bakura's whole body was shaking and it took great difficulty to lower to his knees beside Yuugi.

He awkwardly patted the smaller boy's shoulder. "H-hey, don't say that. I-it's not y-your fault. I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Bakura bowed his head and his shoulders started shaking from restrained sobs. "I'm sorry, Ryou, I couldn't protect you. I promised…" Bakura started crying again.

Yuugi bit his bottom lip to keep from whimpering and threw his arms around Bakura in a tight embrace. Bakura hugged Yuugi back and cried into his tiny shoulder, muttering broken "I'm sorry"s and "I promised".

Once Bakura had calmed down, Yuugi helped him up and they both walked towards the door leading out of Bakura's nightmare. It was a small rectangle of light and Yuugi was nearly blinded after being in the dark so long. They were back in the hall of mirrors, their group of friends were no where in sight.

Yuugi realized what a mess he and Bakura were. Their eyes were red and puffy, and their clothes were wrinkled. Yuugi had dry tear trails over dry tear trails; his face was greasy and grimy, and Bakura wasn't any better.

Bakura tried to comb back his wild hair with his fingers but it just fell back into place. He dug into his front pocket and produced two different colored crayons. Yuugi stared wide eyed at him. "Where…?"

Bakura shrugged. "I was just going to borrow them. We should probably separate to make the search easier. Now take your pick, red or blue? We'll mark a trail so we can tell if we've passed an area before."

Yuugi was a bit hesitant about separating but knew it was for the best at this point of the game. He chose blue and made a pale, waxy streak on the nearest wall. "Great, I'll go this way and you can go that way. Whoever finds our friends first will just follow the trail back to one of us.

Bakura simply nodded and started to walk in the opposite direction, making a line of his own. No goodbye or anything.

Yuugi sighed and began to continue his line down the hall of mirrors. He followed every corner and curve, always keeping his right arm extended outward to make a line as he walked. The hall seemed infinite and deserted. It gave Yuugi an eerie feeling. It showed no variations or any sign of stopping.

That is, until he came to the end.

It was a simple, gray concrete wall. Smooth as marble with no bulbs nor buttons.

Yuugi would be lying if he said it didn't scare him.

And in front of the wall, sitting on the floor, was a tiny slip of paper. That scared Yuugi too. He walked over to it and bent to up the blank, rectangular paper. Everyone else had had their nightmare, and Jounouchi was at the top, so that only left Yuugi.

"Need any help?" Yami asked from behind him.

Yuugi looked over his shoulder and saw Yami leaning against the opposite wall in a form fitting leather outfit that was sexy as hell. Yuugi felt his heart skip a beat and his face heat up with a blush. He quickly turned his head back around and looked at the blank wall. "Will you leave me alone? I'm trying to figure something out."

"I'm glad to help. I know a lot about you. I've watched you for years now; hour after hour, day after day."

Yuugi stiffened at this.

Yami had watched him for hours on end. When he thought he was alone, Yami was there? Watching him? During his most private moments, had he been there? It was a strange thing to think about. It was a strange sort of intimacy that Yuugi…didn't want.

Yami seemed to send Yuugi's emotions; he smiled tenderly and said, "I love you, Yuugi. I think everything you do is marvelous. Even after you just roll out of bed and your hair is a mess and your skin has indentions from where you slept, you are still the most beautiful human being I have ever seen walk this earth."

Yuugi felt his breath catch in his throat and his lungs burned. Yuugi tried to form words but nothing came out.

Yami continued, "Didn't you always know I was there?"

"O-of course not!" Yuugi answered almost immediately.

But they both knew that was a lie. Yuugi had felt a strange presence before when he was alone in the game shop at night and grandpa was out of town. He could feel that sensation of being watched at times. Those times when he woke up in the middle of the night and swore he felt someone watching him. There was sometimes a silhouette standing over him, blacker than darkness, but when he blinked or turned on a light, it was gone.

Yuugi narrowed his wide, amethyst eyes. "I hate you."

Yami smirked. "As that any way to treat someone who is trying to help you? That's your nightmare, Yuugi," Yami said, nodding towards the blank wall. "But how are you going to get into it? How are you going to face it? How are you going to win the Game?"

'He wants you to panic. He wants to scare you,' Yuugi chanted in his mind like a mantra.

He had said from the beginning that he would win this Game without Yami's help, and that's what he was going to do.

Yuugi smiled suddenly and held up the blue crayon. "I'll use this." He flattened the small piece of paper against the wall and tried to draw carefully, trying to keep his hand from shaking too bad.

Yami's eyelids drooped with amusement. "You don't even remember…"

"I know enough," Yuugi replied smartly. "I know that it all started with a door."

Yami's eyes widened as he stared at Yuugi drawing a rectangular door with a small circle to the right for the handle. Yuugi felt triumph completely fill his being when he saw the look on Yami's face. He thought he won, he thought he held the trump card. Yami was sadly mistaken. He forgot that he was messing with the King of Games.

When Yuugi was done, a door replaced the blank concrete wall, and when he turned back around, Yami was gone. 'Good,' Yuugi thought.

He grasped the doorknob and took in calming breaths. This was it, he was going to face his nightmare.

Before Yuugi could chicken out, he twisted the handled and threw open the door to his nightmare, walking in.

The door slammed shut behind him and disappeared.

Yuugi's eyes widened as he took in the room around him. He remembered this room, he had only been in it once but it was hard to forget.

He was in his parents' basement.

-/-

**Ranko: Now things are going to get interesting! **

**Yami: What took you so long?**

**Ranko: School is starting and I've been busy! I think I'm gonna have to update this story at least once a week now, so I don't stress myself. I already have enough homework as it is.**

**Yuugi:…I kissed Yami.**

**Ranko: Yes, you did.**

**Yami: I think that was the only good thing in this chapter.**

**Ranko: Yeah, I don't like this chapter too much. It goes kinda slow and I'm sure that Bakura's nightmare was unexpected. Hope I didn't disappoint!**

**Yuugi: I kissed Yami…I kissed…**

**Yami: Just review.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ranko: (looks around) Where's Yuugi?**

**Yami: He read ahead and found out what was going to happen and is upset with you.**

**Ranko: (shakes head) He's such a girl sometimes, but that's why we all love him!**

**Yami: (smirks) Correction, I love him because he's a boy.**

**Ranko: Keep it in your pants, Yami. We have a few reviews to answer.**

**Inspiration's Wonderer: I know what you mean about Yami being a stalker, it's kinda creepy…but I guess it can also be romantic if you have a sick mind like me. I wouldn't worry about Yuugi too much; he's a tough, little guy! And Yuugi will find a way to bring Ryou back, last chapter I was foreshadowing for the sequel.**

**Doragon-chan: In some way, yes, it does involve his parents but he isn't afraid of them or anything. You'll see in this chapter.**

**Just A Chess Piece: Black Butler is amazing! Anyway, I thought the giant bug crawling up Ryou's face was creepy too; I wrote that when I was deprived of sleep. And here it is! What you've been waiting for! Yuugi's nightmare! I hope you enjoy! (Yami: Why must you always be so loud? Ranko: Shut up!)**

**hikari no senshi17: Your review made me laugh! Unfortunately, there won't be any lemons, I can't really write them that well…but there will be some other "fun" things and, who knows, maybe there will be a lemon in one of the sequels. Yes, watching Ryou die was Bakura's nightmare, I cheated my way out of writing it. I know, I love tendershipping too! It's my second favorite pairing! I will try my best to make it up to you by making this a good chapter!**

**AnimexXxGoddess: No, you're not annoying me, just Yami. But ignore him, he's a little bitch. (Yami: Hey!) The Forbidden Game trilogy is written by L.J. Smith; you can find the three books in one on Amazon or possibly at a local bookstore or Walmart. Don't worry, Yuugi will tell Bakura about Ryou, the only reason Yuugi didn't tell him earlier was because I believe he still feels guilty and both of them needed time to grieve, if that makes sense. I guess he probably just wasn't thinking logically at the time, or I wasn't. Anyway…I thought the kiss was good too, you see too many hot and steamy kisses in puzzleshipping, what happened to just sweet, simple kisses?**

**Yami: For your information I like the hot and steamy kisses.**

**Ranko: Of course you do! Just do the disclaimer!**

**Yami: You already know what I'm going to say, Ranko twin owns nothing. Enjoy! Ha! I said it before you!**

**Ranko: Damn it!**

-/-

Everything was so familiar, yet so new and different.

Yuugi traveled to the center of the room, not even noticing the door that wasn't even there anymore. Yuugi looked around in wonder, taking in all the colors and foreign objects. It was smaller than Yuugi remembered, more crowded, but definitely his parents' basement.

But there was one thing missing…his parents' weren't there. Then Yuugi remembered. 'Oh yeah, they weren't here that day. They were out of the house and I was being watched by the girl next door. She fell asleep on the couch…'

Yuugi felt a strange pang in his heart. He was hoping that his parents would be in his nightmare, so he could see them again. He forgot what they looked like; his grandfather doesn't keep any pictures of them around the house. Yuugi only remembered a blurry image of the two.

Yuugi forcefully shook those thoughts out of his head and traveled towards the staircase. No door. Just a blank wall at the top—as blank as his mind. He had no idea what came next.

But as he stared, he thought he saw an outline of a child at the top of the stairs. A little boy in baggy shorts, with wild and pointy hair, and a scab on his right knee.

Himself. At age five.

It was almost like watching a movie. He could see the boy taking the steps one at a time, clinging to railing. He could see the boy's pursed lips and his careful steps as he tried not to wake his babysitter who was sleeping upstairs. He could see the look of surprise, wonder, and fear as he reached the bottom and saw the basement for the first time.

The ghostly movie played on.

The young boy was looking around in fascination, his beautifully innocent amethyst eyes wide with curiosity. The young boy giggled as he wondered around the room, his feelings of fear evaporating. Yuugi remembered; he had always been afraid to go down into the basement. But his curiosity had won over his fear and he had ventured down to the basement alone. Yuugi couldn't remember what happened next.

'Don't try and remember,' Yuugi thought. 'Just relax and watch.'

And Yuugi did watch.

The younger Yuugi rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet in the center of room. He was deciding whether to go back upstairs or stay and explore more. The choice was to stay. He walked over to the first bookcase and got up on his tip-toes to see some of the books on the higher shelves.

The young Yuugi couldn't see, or understand, them very well, but the older Yuugi could. Yuugi followed the ghostly child over to the bookcase. Some of the titles were familiar to Yuugi. A lot were sci-fi and supernatural related books. But some of them were older and written in a different language. It looked like Latin.

As Yuugi continued to study the first bookcase, the child wondered over to the second, dissatisfied that he couldn't read any from the first. Yuugi noticed this and moved on, following the child's image.

Little Yuugi was more pleased with this shelf; it was crowded with all sorts of objects from far off lands. One whole shelf was devoted to small wooden boxes with glass tops, filled with what looked like…dried herbs.

The little boy was running his fingers over some balls of colored glass attached to strings, but the older Yuugi was more interested in the looped cross next to it—it was an ankh. Yuugi's grandfather had said that it was the Egyptian symbol for life that kept away bad luck.

Yuugi's eyes widened as he took in a diamond shaped thing made of yarn—the Mexican Eye of God. It was supposed to protect you from evil. Yuugi's grandpa had the same thing in his kitchen.

Yuugi looked around the shelf in surprise and realization started to dawn on him—a bracelet of cobalt and turquoise beads with little silver charms, gold plated religious pictures, a wooden flute wrapped in fur? All items of protection. Yuugi wondered why his parents had all these items, but already knew the answer, he just refused to believe it.

But it wasn't just this bookcase that had these special items. Yuugi looked around the room again and everything started jumping out at him. All these beautiful, exotic things his parents' collected during their travels—were all for protection?

Why would his parents need this much protection?

As the little boy fingered a little silver bell, Yuugi saw a group a charts pinned together on the opposite wall.

_The Theban Alphabet_

_The Alphabet of Magi_

_The Secret Etruscan Alphabet_

_The Celtic Tree Alphabet_

_Numerical Values of the Hebrew Alphabet_

Under every title were strange markings and creepy drawings. What was going on here?

Little Yuugi was moving again. He trotted over to a large writing desk. Going up on his tip-toes, he leaned his elbows on the felt desk pad. Yuugi looked over his younger self's shoulder and saw lots of papers. Little Yuugi pouted as he realized that it was nothing of interest.

Little Yuugi couldn't understand or read any of the papers, but older Yuugi could. One of them was like one of the charts on the wall, it was titled _The Elder Futhark_. The title held no meaning to Yuugi, but he did recognize the angular, slanted symbols under the title.

Runes.

Like the one from inside the cover of the Game box. Each had its name written beside it in his parents' handwriting with notes and descriptions. Yuugi recognized his mother's elegant, curvy script and some of the notes were also written in his father's sloppy, fast-paced writing style.

_Uruz—for piercing the veil between worlds_

And beside it was the inverted _U_ shape, with the two uneven horns pointing downward.

_Raidho—for journeying in space or time_

The rune was shaped like an _R_ drawn without any curved lines.

_Dagaz—for awakening_

It looked like an hourglass on its side.

One of the runes was shaped like a backward-leaning _X, _with one stroke longer than the other. It was circled with a thick pen stroke.

_Nauthiz—for**containment**_

Yuugi took a deep breath and looked away from the notebook and studied the room again.

'Oh my, God,' Yuugi thought.

Yuugi couldn't keep the truth away any longer. He had been holding it at arms length, refusing to accept it. But with this…evidence, there was no denying it any more.

Yuugi's parents were sorcerers.

'Don't think about…' a little voice inside his head whispered. 'Don't remember. No one can make you remember…just stay safe behind your walls…"

But Yuugi had to remember; for his friends, for Jounouchi. He had to remember so that he could face his nightmare and beat Yami at his own game.

Yuugi's palms became sweaty and a headache throbbed behind his temples, making him clutch his head; he could feel his clammy hands against his hot skin.

'I have to remember, no matter how much it hurts,' Yuugi commanded himself. For all his friends: Malik, Anzu, Honda, Mai, Seto, Bakura, and…Ryou. Especially Ryou. They had all faced their nightmares, even Ryou had tried.

Pictures flashed across Yuugi's mind: Malik crying and thrashing like a wild animal; Anzu curled up in a tight ball, terrified; Honda blurting out his deepest secrets, Mai…acting so distant; the look of weakness and defenselessness in Seto's eyes; Ryou's pleading eyes; Bakura's grief and tears.

They had all been terrified out of their wits. Was Yuugi's nightmare any worse?

'Yes,' the voice in the back of his head whispered. But Yuugi ignored it. He wanted to remember now. He had to remember, no matter how much pain it would cause him.

Yuugi picked the notebook up from the desk and started to leaf through it. 'Maybe this will help,' he thought.

It was a journal of sorts, or at least a record of some kind of experiment. It was a mixture of both his parents' handwriting, some pages were written in his mother's pretty handwriting and other times his father's. Certain sentences stood out at Yuugi continued to look through it.

This journal entry was written a few years before Yuugi was born by his mother:

"…_Out of all the methods from different cultures this one seems safest…the rune Nyd or Nauthiz provides an eternal constraint, preventing travel in any direction…The rune must be carved, then stained with blood, and finally charged with power by pronouncing its name out loud…That is, according to Suguroku."_

Suguroku? Yuugi's grandfather? Yuugi's dad's dad? How was he involved in this?

Yuugi shoved that thought to the back of his mind and continued to flip through the pages.

This was written by his father at a later date, when mother was probably pregnant with Yuugi:

"…_interesting treatise on the traditional methods of dealing with a djinn, or, as the Hausa call them, the ajunnu. Why anyone should think this could be accomplished with a bottle is beyond me…I believe the space I've prepared to be just barely sufficient for containing the tremendous energies involved…"_

Yuugi's eyebrows furrowed together as he thought about this and flipped through the pages again. He stopped when he noticed a certain date where his father had written another journal entry. The day before Yuugi was born.

"…_I've achieved the containment at last! I'm very satisfied…foolproof methods…not the slightest danger…the tremendous forces I've harnessed…all in complete safety…"_

Toward the end of the journal, there was a yellowing piece of parchment stuck in between the pages like a bookmark. It was quite old and the handwriting was nothing like his parents' handwriting.

It was a poem. There was no title, but there was the author's name and the date scrawled at the top.

I, slipping on the slime-edged stones,

To that dark place by rusty foxfire lit,

Where they lie watching, fingering old bones,

Go with my question. Deep into the pit

Of the Black Forest, where the Erlking rules

And truth is told but always at a cost,

I take my puzzle. Like the other fools

Who've slipping on these same stones and played and lost

I come because I must. I have no choice.

The Game is timeless and…

The rest of the poem was covered with dark stains, except the last two lines:

I leave them waiting there below.

I hear them laughing as I go.

Yuugi leaned back and let out his breath.

He had all the puzzle pieces now. But, as much as he liked puzzles and games, he didn't want to put this one together. All he could think about was taking the next step in this drama he was playing in.

The little child had disappeared and the internal movie had stopped running. But Yuugi didn't try and get it back. He could feel the tug of a real memory and he knew what he had to do.

He stepped back to look at the third bookcase.

The bookcase was huge and made out of the same wood out of the desk. It was dusty and had pointless little objects sitting on its shelves. Today it had been moved; pulled out a weird angle.

It had been moved to expose a door.

Yuugi hadn't noticed the door at first, the case stuck out enough to block it. You had to walk beyond the bookcase to get a good look at that's exactly what Yuugi felt compelled to do.

It was a perfectly normal, ordinary-looking door. Yuugi wouldn't be surprised if he opened it and saw a bundle of coats handing neatly on a rack in a row. The only strange thing about it was the backward-leaning _X_ that was deeply carved into the wood.

It was colored a rusty brown color, like dried blood.

The movie had started back up again.

Little Yuugi was standing in front of door, looking at it in surprise. He was swaying from one foot to the other nervously. Obviously temptation was fighting with obedience – and winning. The child shook his head, he took a step forward, two small hands grasped the doorknob and—

'And I opened it,' Yuugi thought. But the movie stopped again, the child disappeared and was no longer standing in front of the door…Yuugi was. He was standing exactly in front of the door with his small hands grasping the door knob just as the child had been doing.

His heart was thudding and his mind screamed at him not to do it.

Yuugi closed his eyes and his pulse seemed to scream at him: _"Don't—don't—don't…"_ In time with his heart beat.

Like he had no control over his body, Yuugi flung the door open.

_Ice and shadows_

That's all Yuugi could see.

There were no orderly coats hung up in a row when Yuugi opened the door, instead, it was very wide and very deep. It looked like if you stepped into it, you would fall into a hurricane; lost in a mixture of white and black. Frost coated the walls and icicles hung from the ceiling like sharp fangs ready to snap shut. A blast of icy wind went straight through Yuugi and just like that, Yuugi's entire body became numb from the freezing temperature and the fear.

It was so cold that Yuugi couldn't breath for a second. The ice was so bright that it nearly blinded him.

Yuugi caught a glimpse of what was in the center of the whirlpool of light and dark.

Eyes.

Dark eyes, watching eyes, sardonic, cruel, amused eyes. Ancient eyes. All staring at Yuugi. He recognized those eyes; they were the eyes he saw right before he went to sleep or the moment of waking up. The eyes he saw at night in his room.

Eyes staring at you from the depths darkness; from the deepest shadows. Evil, malicious eyes all narrowed at Yuugi.

But there was one pair of eyes that were wide and child like, blinking curiously at Yuugi. The eyes were the most amazing hue of ruby red.

Yuugi didn't have the air to scream; it felt like there was a coat of ice over his lungs, preventing him from breathing. But he had to breath, he had to do something, because they were coming out. The eyes were coming out.

If was as if they were coming from far away, rushing towards him, riding the hurricane. Yuugi realized he hadn't moved at all since he had opened the door. 'Move!' he commanded himself. 'Run, you idiot! Do something!'

Those eyes were equivalent to no horror any human being had come up with.

This was the terror that came from darkness, the one everyone knew about, but everyone forgot. Only sometimes, when waking up between dreams, did full realization hit, but it was seldom remembered. The knowledge couldn't survive in daylight. But at night, sometimes humans glimpsed the truth. That they were not alone.

They shared this world with them.

The Others.

The Watchers.

The Hunters.

The Shadow Men.

The ones who walked freely through the human world, that walked along side humans in the shadows. The ones who had another world of their own. They had been called different things in different times, but their purpose always stayed the same.

The sometimes granted favors, but they would always ask for something in return…usually something you couldn't afford.

They liked games and puzzles, anything to trick someone and confuse them. They were unreliable and evil.

They preyed on humans. When someone lost time, _they_ were responsible. When someone went missing, they were laughing in the shadows. Any one who entered their world usually didn't come back.

They had power beyond any one's wildest dreams. It was the power great men of the past and the present longed to have, what they worked their whole life to achieve but could never succeed.

One more thing—they were heartbreakingly beautiful.

All of this passed through Yuugi's mind in seconds. But he didn't need to reason it out, he already knew.

It was like a shell coating Yuugi's mind crumbled away, and everything was so clear now. He saw the truth know and he knew what he was. He knew what his parents were. He remembered.

He remembered those strange history books his parents would make him read when he was just learning the alphabet, when he could barely pronounce the word "_and_". He remembered those books full of numbers and strange letters with no real meaning to them. It was all shoved to the back of his subconscious, and it all made sense now.

His parents had made him read those meaningless pointless books for a reason.

Yuugi was a Shadow Hunter.

His parents were Shadow Hunters.

Grandpa was a Shadow Hunter…and so was Mai.

His parents knew, they _knew_, that they wouldn't live long enough to explain all this to Yuugi when he got older, so they taught it to him like another language when he was just an infant. Tickling at the back of his mind; always there, just never acknowledged.

So why didn't Mai tell him? Why didn't grandpa tell him? Why was Yuugi left in the dark all this time while he unleashed the evil of the Game?

Yuugi shoved these questions to the back of his mind and made a note to ask Mai about it later.

The eyes were still rushing towards him. His bangs were whipped around his face; he felt frozen again.

"_Yuugi!_"

His name was called in a warm, musical, hysterical voice. Before he could turn to see who it was, he was picked up around the waist and lifted off the ground—lifted as if he were just five years old and thirty-seven pounds.

"Mommy," Yuugi gasped when he saw his mother's chestnut eyes staring down at him, her black hair with purple tips whipping around her face, making her look even more beautiful, even though her face was constricted with worry and fear.

She was much more frail and tiny then Yuugi remembered. He tried to cling to her and tears pooled in his eyes, but she pulled him behind her and Yuugi's father jumped in front of them both, protecting them.

He was exactly like Yuugi remembered. Broad shouldered, but soft, gentle features. High cheekbones and golden hair that fell messily to his shoulders; it was usually held back in a ponytail or a braid but it was no loose and whipping around his neck.

"_Nauthiz! Nauthiz!_" he shouted, making a slanted _X_ shape with the tips of his fingers.

He was trying to shut the door. He continued to shout, each time was more desperate then the last, and his slashing motions became more violent. But the door wouldn't shut. His father's shouts became screams of despair.

Thick, white tendrils came from the closet like mist on a cold winter morning. They wrapped around Yuugi's father and tried to get past Yuugi's mother to the child she was protecting.

The voices that came from the mist were just as cold as the wind.

"We won't be put back…"

"You know the laws…"

"We have a claim, now…"

Yuugi's mother held her child close to her as tears collected in her purple eyes. Her voice was full of desperate fear when she spoke. "Please, anything else. You can take anything else—!"

"He broke the rune…"

"…set us free…"

"…and we want him."

"Give him to us," all the voices said at once. The voices sounded just as ancient as the eyes.

"I can't do that!" Yuugi's father said, trying not to let his fear show.

"Then we'll take him…"

"We'll embrace him…"

"No, let's keep him," a child like voice said. It was musical, like chimes blowing in the summer wind. It sounded intrigued and the voice belonged to the pair of wide, ruby eyes. "I want him."

"We all want him…" one older voice said to the younger.

"…We're all hungry."

Yuugi's mother held her child closer until it began to hurt Yuugi. "No," she whimpered.

A voice like ice cracking under your feet said, "There's only one way to change the consequences. Make a new bargain."

Yuugi's father stared wide eyed at the open closet door and backed up to be closer to his wife and child. "You mean…"

"A life for a life."

"Someone must take his place."

"Come now, that's only fair."

The voices were delicate and reasonable, but oh so evil. Only the musical voice seemed to have an objection.

"But I want him…" it argued; it sounded like a whining child.

"Ah, youth," an old voice chuckled.

Yuugi's father looked over his shoulder and shared a look with his wife, they both nodded and Yuugi's father set his shoulders back squarely.

"No!" Yuugi screeched, finally finding his voice.

Yuugi's mother crushed her son to her body and kissed him firmly on his forehead. She squeezed him harder in a bone-crushing hug and then abruptly let go of him, almost causing Yuugi to fall. She stood up and kept a hand over her mouth to keep from sobbing as tears rolled down her cheeks. Her husband put an arm around her shoulder.

"We knew this day would come," he told her.

She silently nodded and then blew Yuugi a kiss. "I love you."

Yuugi remembered everything that happened that day now.

He had jumped up and ran toward the closet, the closet his parents were walking into; their figured were getting lost in the mist. He heard his parents screaming as they walked right into the heart of the storm. He reached for the hem of his mother's shirt or his father's belt loop, but when he reached out his hand…they were gone.

They had disappeared.

But Yuugi was still standing a few steps in the closet. But like being slapped away, he was shoved out through the open door by an invisible hand. He landed on his bottom, his shoes lost and his clothes torn.

The door slammed shut behind Yuugi and the howling stopped, leaving behind a deafening silence.

The last thing Yuugi remembered was Mai finding him curled up in a corner, crying, and then taking him to grandpa.

And older Yuugi just sat there, his eyes dry, where his child self should have been, not even noticing that the door leading out of his nightmare had appeared at the top of the stairs.

To the turret.

-/-

**Ranko: Wow…that was pretty cool. I should probably be doing by homework right now but fanfiction is more important! This is the chapter I've been wanting to do since I started this whole story! Yay! I predict two to three more chapters until the end!**

**Yuugi: How have I not gone insane from my past?**

**Ranko: Yuugi! You're talking to me again! (glomps Yuugi)**

**Yuugi: (sighs) Yes, I figured Yami needed a break from you, so he's resting and starting the second book of the Forbidden Game series.**

**Ranko: That bastard! I'm not even done with the first story yet and he's already starting on the second book?**

**Yuugi: You do the same thing.**

**Ranko: I…do don't I? Oh well, review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Ranko: I can't believe I just did that…**

**Yami: Did what?**

**Yuugi: Ranko, what's wrong? **

**Ranko: (groans) I just watched three Barbie movies in a row!**

**Yami: (laughing his ass off)**

**Yuugi: Why?**

**Ranko: I visited Alverna's profile and read that she was considering doing Barbie and Yu-Gi-Oh crossovers so I just had to watch them to see what it was all about! Yami! Stop laughing!**

**Yami: (still laughing) You're pathetic!**

**Yuugi: Don't be so mean! I'll couch you!**

**Yami: (immediately sobers) So, we got reviews to answer?**

**Ranko: Just a few. (looks at list) Let's see.**

**hikari no senshi17: Yes, Yuugi's nightmare is technically remembering his past. And yes, you will like the "fun" things…I hope. I like Jounouchi, he's a sweet guy but he won't end up with Yuugi, I have always liked one-sided Wishshipping because I really do think that in the manga, Jounouchi loves Yuugi. But yeah, no more deaths! For now…mwahahahaha!**

**Doragon-chan: Tell me about it.**

**AnimexXxGoddess: Yeah, no problem! I love answering questions. That's interesting about the Shadow Men, I hope I was accurate enough. I honestly just went off of what L.J. Smith wrote though. And I know what you mean about some Shadow Men being nice to humans. In the Forbidden Game books, Julian (Yami) likes to think he's evil but he's actually very sweet and has a kind heart. Thanks for the review!**

**Dinogirl: Thank you so much! I know, I love chibi Yami! He's so cute! While I was writing that chapter I just went, "Aw! Can I keep him?" Thanks for the review!**

**Ranko: Is Yami still laughing?**

**Yuugi: (nods)**

**Ranko: Don't worry, I'll make him pay later.**

**Yuugi: Ranko twin does not own Yu-Gi-Oh or the Forbidden Games.**

**Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

"Yuugi?" Mai's voice said hesitantly. "Yuugi, are you okay?"

Yuugi cracked a smile when he saw his cousin's face, her beautiful violet eyes staring down at him with concern. 'Its okay, Mai. It was just a dream…what a strange dream,' Yuugi thought. Then he realized that he wasn't in his room, he wasn't in his comfortable bed in his grandfather's apartment. He was still playing the game; he was in his parents' basement in the paper doll house.

Yuugi was lying in a puddle of icy water and Malik, Anzu, Honda, Seto, and Bakura were all standing in another puddle, looking down at him.

"I found everyone in the hallway," Bakura said, gesturing to the rest of their friends with a jerk of his head.

"We fell down a shaft," Honda explained. "This hole just opened up in front of us and took us all back to the first floor."

"It was a chute," Seto said. "Like a laundry chute that my maids use to save time and transport the laundry downstairs quicker."

"I fell down it too," Malik said, not making a comment about Seto being a rich, pampered ass. "And then we all had to walk back up here."

"We followed the crayon trail and it ended at a door. We opened and…"

"It let us in," Anzu finished when Bakura stopped. "But it looks like something already happened." Anzu looked softly down at Yuugi who froze up. "What happened?"

"My nightmare," Yuugi answered quietly, looking at Mai out of the corner of his eye. Mai sucked in a quiet breath and lowered her eyes so she wouldn't have to face Yuugi. The boy shook his head and tried to bring himself back to the present. The five year old in his mind seemed more real then his sixteen year old friends he was talking to.

Malik looked down at the boy he had become so close to through this whole experience. He knelt down beside Yuugi and pulled him into a hug. "Can you tell us what happened?" he asked soothingly, smoothing his hair gently.

"I lost," Yuugi said dully, feeling removed from everything. "I screwed up. I couldn't save them. I lost."

Mai's eyes became sad and she looked away. "Your parents, right?" she whispered, almost like she was afraid to ask.

Yuugi simply nodded against Malik's shoulder.

All of Yuugi's friends gasped at once. "Yuugi? What happened?" Anzu asked again, annoyance clear in her voice.

"No one ever knew what really happened to Yuugi's parents. One day they were alive and the next they were dead, gone…" Mai said for her smaller cousin. "The only person who ever knew what truly happened to them was Yuugi, but he couldn't remember. So our family…spread this horrible lie. They said that Yuugi's mom, Mitsuki, died in a car accident. They said Yuugi's father, Ichii, went insane with grief and beat Yuugi near death and then killed himself," Mai said solemnly.

"What?" Yuugi asked; he had never heard of this before. "No!"

"I found you here, in the basement, with your clothes torn and your arms all scratched. Your legs and feet were bleeding…it was the only logical explanation our family could come up with," Mai explained frantically when she saw the look of rage in her cousin's sweet eyes.

"From the ice," Yuugi whispered harshly. "I got dragged through the ice. The wind was so harsh it scratched my skin. But I had to fight against it…they were taking them! My parents let those _things_ take them instead of me!"

The suddenly, Yuugi was sobbing again. He flew into Mai's arms and cried into her chest as his cousin stroked his hair, whispering sweet nothings in his ear. "It's okay, it's going to be okay…"

Yuugi hiccupped and continued to cry as his cousin offered him comfort. "No, no it's not going to be okay…they took my parents. Why? Why? Why?"

Yuugi suddenly felt an arm wrapped around his shoulder in a half hug. Yuugi looked up, and surprisingly saw Bakura kneeling beside him, smiling down at him. Then someone grasped his hand and it was Anzu, rubbing soothing circles on his knuckles. And then Malik put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Seto awkwardly patted his head and Honda gave him thumbs up.

"You went through all our nightmares with us," Anzu said. "Its not fair you had to go through yours alone."

Yuugi shook his head. "No, you don't understand. All of you had nightmares about things you were scared might happen. Mine did happen—because of me. It was real…it was all my fault."

"Will you stop saying that?" Bakura asked in outrage, shaking the smaller boy. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault so get it out of your head!"

Yuugi rubbed his tears away and nodded.

"Tell us, Yuugi," Malik said, extremely vague. But Yuugi understood.

"My parents were Shadow Hunters," Yuugi said, looking at Mai. This time the girl did not back down and met Yuugi's gaze head on.

"Shadow Hunters?" Anzu asked. "Like from the City of Bones?"

Surprisingly, Mai answered. "No, Shadow Hunters are not demon hunters. We are…" Mai thought for a moment. "Guardians, we watch over the gates to the nine worlds, making sure no one over steps there boundaries."

Seto sighed and ran his long fingers through his flat hair. "Why am I having a hard time believing that shit?"

Mai narrowed her eyes at the taller boy. "Its tru—,"

"No fighting," Yuugi said sternly. Yuugi glared—yes, glared—at Mai. "I want to feel hurt and betrayed, because you and grandpa both kept something very important in my life hidden from me. But none of us have the time for that right now. In case you haven't noticed, we're still playing the Game." Seto flashed a triumphant smile at Mai. Yuugi turned his glare at Kaiba. "And you, don't get to cocky either."

Everyone just sat there in the room, shocked at Mai's confession and Yuugi's sudden change of attitude.

Yuugi felt the tension rise in the room and quickly changed the subject. "So all this time, everyone thought my father went insane and tried to kill me?" Yuugi looked pointedly at Mai when he said it, the rest of his sentence that wasn't spoken hanging in the air. "And you knew the truth the whole time and didn't tell anyone?"

"What else were they supposed to think?" Mai defended. "When I found you you were practically in a coma and would scream when anyone touched you. You wouldn't talk and both of your parents were gone. And when they looked around this place," Mai said, gesturing to the basement. "Well, they thought your parents were…" Mai trailed off.

"Insane?" Yuugi finished. Mai nodded her head and Yuugi took in a huge breath and let it out slowly. "But they weren't insane, they were sorcerers, they were Shadow Hunters. Just like you and me and grandpa!"

"Woah!" Mai shot up in outrage. "You are not a Shadow Hunter, Yuugi! Just because your parents were makes you one? Well you're wrong, its not just something you can inherit."

Yuugi stood up and faced Mai. "I would be if you and grandpa didn't try to keep me in a protective bubble all my life! You should have just told me, what were you so afraid of?" Yuugi asked in anger.

"I was afraid of losing you!" Mai cried, tears pooling in her eyes. The room went deadly quiet and Mai choked out a broken sob. "Yuugi…you and grandpa are all I have left. We both know that grandpa won't be around forever…you're all I have, Yuugi. When I found you that day in the basement, so broken and fragile, like an angel that was thrown from heaven, I was so afraid. I was so afraid you would find out about your heritage and… and hate me, and leave me alone. I…I just couldn't…" And Mai broke down.

Yuugi felt tears burn the back of his eyes as well. He rubbed them away and sniffled. Yuugi took Mai in his arms and squeezed his cousin in a reassuring hug. "Oh Mai, I'm not going anywhere. No matter who I am, what you do, or who you are, I will never leave you."

The cousin collapsed to their knees, still holding each other as all their friends gave them space.

Then Yuugi finally spoke. "They're real…"

Mai pulled away to stare down at Yuugi. "What?"

"They've always been real—like genies. The old name for genie was djinn, I saw it in my parents' notes. It was all a joke. They like to play with us…"

Mai looked at her cousin with concern and all their friends started to form a circle around them. "Yuugi? What are you talking about?"

Yuugi pulled away as he felt his anger rising. "My parents were keeping the Shadow Men trapped in that closet—but I let them out, and that changed everything. They said they had the right to take me. But my parents sacrificed themselves for me—they did it for me." Yuugi stopped.

Malik stepped forward and picked Yuugi up and placed him back on his feet. "If we're going to get through this we've got to be strong. We're going to stand together, all right?"

Malik and Anzu intertwined fingers…for Yuugi. Anzu nodded. "Right," she said. Anzu and Honda then grasped each other's hand and Honda nodded firmly.

Bakura and Seto then followed the link and both confirmed, "Right."

Mai was suddenly beside Yuugi and held her cousin's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Right," the blond said with a determined nod.

"But there's nothing to do," Yuugi nearly yelled. "He won. I lost. I didn't make it through my nightmare. That door," Yuugi said, nodding toward the closet one, "was always here. It's not the way out."

Seto growled and clenched his free hand into a fist. "That's quitter's talk, Yuugi Motou, and we both now that you're no quitter, not until the game has ended! Do people call you the King of Games or not?" he cried in outrage.

"Besides, what about that one?" Honda asked, pointing out the door at the top of the stairs.

Yuugi had to move around the book case to see it. Instead of the blank wall at the top of the stairs that Yuugi saw earlier, there was a door.

An unseen clock struck five from above them.

"You must have done something right," Malik commented.

"I'll go first," Yuugi said, leading his friends up the stair. Yuugi found his slip of paper in front of the door at the top and stepped on it.

"Wait, if this is the turret, does that mean…?" Anzu trailed off.

"We've won?" Honda finished.

Someone Yuugi didn't think it would be that easy. He twisted the knob and pushed, and the door swung back. They all stepped into the room that was much larger than any turret could be.

It was the game shop where Yuugi had first met Yami.

It had the same shelves and tables and racks assorted with different games on them. The same strange dark lights that gave the shop a strange glow. Everything was the same…more or less.

One of the differences was that there was a grandfather clock in the corner.

The other was Jounouchi.

Yuugi gasped and ran to him. He was huddled against the clock, chained to it somehow. Yuugi reached out both of his hands and cupped his friends face. "Jou? Jounouchi," he said.

And then his blond friends turned towards him. Yuugi gasped in surprise; there were no bruises on his face, but he looked ravaged. His skin was pale and clammy with an unhealthy glow to it, and there were black circles under his eyes. When Jounouchi saw his shorter friends he cracked one of his trade mark smiles.

"Hey, buddy," he said hoarsely.

Yuugi bit his lip to keep from crying and hugged his friend tightly, crying into his shoulder.

And everything was okay now. Jounouchi, his best friend and his savior was here now; it was going to be okay. Nothing could go wrong when he was here, Yami couldn't touch him. At least, that's what Yuugi was trying to convince himself of.

"Jounouchi," he said. "I missed you. What did Yami do to you?"

Jounouchi flashed his friend a cheeky smile. "Nothing I couldn't handle! Just a few images of the old gang and my pops; that tough Shadow Man thought he could scare me with that? Well he better think again!" Jou barked out a laugh but Yuugi could tell that he was truly frightened.

'So that's what Jounouchi saw in the parlor,' Yuugi thought. 'Why didn't I think about it?'

Because it hadn't been bad enough. Jou had been so terrified in the parlor. But there was one thing that Yuugi learned: everyone's nightmare was scariest to them. You just had to see it with them; be in their shoes to understand how scary it.

Yuugi freed Jou's hands and noticed the skin on his wrists were bruised and bloodied from the shackles.

"I kept trying to get away," Jounouchi explained when he saw Yuugi's horrified expression. "Not just because of the visions; Yami would come and hold up a mirror, and I could see what was happening to you. I saw you go through everything, even when Ryou died…"

'He saw me,' Yuugi thought in horror. Jounouchi could have seen all those times that Yuugi was alone with Yami. The humiliation! He was hoping to keep that away from his best friend. But…if Yami was there holding the mirror then he, then he must have been going the times when Yami wasn't with Yuugi. He still had to know.

Yuugi gulped. "Did he…uh, show you…?"

Jounouchi understood what his friend was trying to ask and shook his head. "No, but he did talk about it. He talked about everything he did to you and to all of you. The bastard even laughed about it," Jou growled out, clenching his fists.

Yuugi put both of his hands over Jounouchi's fists and they immediately relaxed. "Don't worry, Jou. It's over; we've won. Now we just have to find the way out of here."

Jounouchi looked over Yuugi's shoulder, over everyone's shoulder, and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "What?" Yuugi asked in concern. Everyone turned at once and they all wore matching expression. There was a door, just like the one leading to the game store where he met Yami, only it was partly opened. And standing before it, guarding the door, were Akefia and Marik.

Malik recovered from his shock first and growled at the two Shadow Men. "Oh great, these two; please, step aside," Malik commanded.

The two Shadow Men exchanged looks and smirked.

"Are you just going to stand there all day or what?" Bakura asked, his anger rising until smoke was whistling out of his ears.

"He has to let us go," Yuugi reassured everyone. "The rules were that if we got to the top of the house, we could go free."

"Not exactly," a smooth, baritone voice spoke from the back of the store.

He was dressed the way Yuugi had seen him when he first met him; like a gothic punk.

He looked charming, sinister, and slightly mad. A demon with the face of an angel.

Yuugi was suddenly very frightened; Yami had that look on his face, and through his experience in the Game, that look was never a good thing. And seeing him made Yuugi much more alert. He straightened his back, still kneeling beside Jou.

The others started to gather together; they all knew not to trust Yami, they all knew what he was capable of.

Yami scoffed. "You all wanted to know who I am? I'll tell you; I'm a Shadow Man. I'm your nightmare come true. I can be anyone or anything I so desire."

"We figured that out already," Yuugi said steadily. "And we played your game and won, so let us go."

"Did you hear that, Akefia?" Marik asked.

"I sure did, Marik," the white haired boy said, a smile on his lips.

"Isn't it cute, they think that they've won the Game," Marik said.

"The thing is," Yami said calmly. "That you all have been playing a game that you didn't even know you were playing. Do you remember the Tibetan game goats and tigers?" Yami asked, gesturing to a bronze board with little bronze figurines that sat on the board like chess pieces. "That is the game you all have been playing. You have been the goats…and we have been the tigers."

Everyone stood in complete silence for a moment.

Yami chuckled. "Come now, did you really think I would let you go?" Yami asked Yuugi.

"B-but you said…you would play the Game fairly," Yuugi managed to say; he felt like he had no breath to say it. "You promised—,"

Yuugi was interrupted by Akefia's maniac cackle. "And you honestly believed him?" Marik soon joined his friend in his laughter, both of them nearly falling over each other.

Yuugi didn't know why, but he felt: betrayed, cheated, worthless. Why was he feeling this way?

"Shut up, both of you," Yami snapped. Both of his fellow Shadow Men immediately fell silent. Yami nodded his approval and turned back to Yuugi. "But I am playing the game fairly. I said that if you got to the turret before dawn you would find a door leading back home open. And it is open—but it doesn't mean that I won't let you get to it."

Yuugi looked at Marik and Akefia guarding the door. What could they possibly do to fight them off?

"By they way, Jou here hasn't even faced his real nightmare yet, but there will be plenty of time for that later. We have something like an eternity ahead of us," Yami said, his eyes reminding Yuugi of a wolf's.

'Please, someone help,' Yuugi silently prayed; he was terrified again, like he was in the beginning of the Game. Yuugi turned towards Jou and only saw anger and hatred directed towards Yami; it made Yuugi shrink away in fear.

"So this whole Game has only been a farce?" Jou asked, barely restraining his anger.

When Yami answered, he directed it to Yuugi. "I told you that I would do anything to get you. At first I was sure that you would lose the Game, but you surprised me, Yuugi. I shouldn't have underestimated you. I figured that you would turn for me for help, and you still didn't." Yami's eyes flickered towards Jounouchi. "He's stronger then you think, you know. You don't deserve him."

Yuugi sat there, contemplating what Yami just said as Jou answered, "I know, but you don't deserve him either."

Yami shook his head. "You'll see, Jou, just like light to darkness, we belong together. You'll have years and years to see how right we are for each other."

Yuugi hated how they were talking about him like he wasn't even in the room.

"Well," Yami said, turning back to Yuugi. "You've gotten this far so I might as well tell you. This Game you have been playing is all it is—a game. Like a cat chasing a mouse."

"Right before eating it?" Mai muttered.

"Careful now, Mai," Yami warned. "I am only hungry for one thing, but my friends," Yami said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at Akefia and Marik. "Have strange appetites. I wouldn't go near them if I were you. And of course there are other Shadow Men, that aren't as nice as me. They'd all like to get a hold of you; this house keeps them outside, but you wouldn't get far if I opened a window."

Did everyone lose to the Shadow Men?

'The dice are loaded…you can't win,' Yuugi thought. 'All bets are off.'

"They would love to sink their teeth into you," Yami continued, still talking directly to Mai. "You look like the Greek beauty and temptress, Aphrodite."

As he spoke, Mai snapped her right leg up in a high kick, pulling her toes back to deliver a devastating blow with the heel. At least, that's how it was supposed to happen. Yami, with quick reflexes, grabbed Mai's ankle and jerked, flinging Mai on her back.

Mai groaned in pain as Yami stood over her menacingly. "Rule number one in this Game: don't mess with me. I'll beat you every time."

Mai slowly got to her feet, obviously in pain and Yami turned back to Yuugi.

Yami stared at Yuugi with ravenous eyes and something changed inside the smaller boy forever.

"Let the other's go," Yuugi said softly but in a commanding tone, "and I'll stay with you."

Everyone's eyes widened, even Yami was surprised by this.

Then Yami smiled, just one corner of his lip twitched up. It was not an amused smile. His eyes had become the color of hot lava. "I see," he said.

Yuugi let go of Jounouchi and stood up. "I'm serious. Let them go…and I'll stay with you…of my own free will. Forever, just how you wanted, and we can be together…with no interruptions."

This perked Yami's interest. His smile became more sensuous as he mulled the idea over in his head.

"Willingly?" he repeated, as if testing the word.

"Willingly," Yuugi confirmed with a nod of his head.

"No…" Jou whispered.

Yami looked charms, but wary. "You have to make a promise—seal the bond. In a way that couldn't be broken."

Yuugi could tell that he had startled Yami. He'd expected Yuugi to play for time. Didn't Yami understand that Yuugi had changed?

Yuugi shrugged. "Fine with me."

Yami blinked and then said slowly, "Everyone can leave, except for Jounouchi. I'll keep him here as hostage for good behavior."

Yuugi felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards. "I don't think that will be necessary."

"All the same."

Yuugi smiled and sauntered over to Yami until he was standing directly in front of him. "All right; it doesn't matter to me." The taking another step closer, their bodies were nearly touching. Yuugi placed his hands delicately on Yami's shoulder and whispered something only his ears needed to hear, "Yami, don't you know that I've changed? Can't you see that?"

Yami was having difficulty keeping all his emotions and thoughts in check with Yuugi so close and breathing in his ear.

Yuugi felt a satisfaction in yielding so much power over Yami for a change. "I probably would have come to you a lot sooner if you just asked me. Didn't that occur to you? That you could have just come to my front door without games or threats and just asked me?"

Yami gulped. "Not exactly…"

Yuugi chuckled, making Yami gasp silently. "You're too cynical. Don't you know that the way you look at things has made you blind? You're heart has hardened, you think you have to fight the universe to get what you want."

"And—I don't?" Yami honestly sounded to confused and defenseless, it made Yuugi's chest ache.

"Not always, sometimes there's a much simpler solution; there are some things that you can't force, Yami. You can't buy them, either. That's what I want to give you." Yuugi stepped back and saw love in Yami's deep, red eyes that were as red as the rose he gave Yuugi when he was Little Red Riding Hood.

"Then promise yourself to me," his voice sounded desperate, pleading for love and care, emotions that he had never truly felt before. With one quick motion of his hand, he was holding something between his fingers: a gold circlet.

Yuugi reached for it and held it between his thumb and forefinger. It was a simple gold ring, with no design on the outside. But on the inside of the ring, something was engraved. He tilted the ring to read what it said.

_All I refuse & Thee I chuse_

"Put this on your finger and you're sworn mind," Yami explained. "No way to break the promise, no way to change the bond. It's a short ceremony. Do you want to go through with it?"

-/-

**Ranko: Before you say anything, I did spell chuse right. I don't know why, but that is the way L.J. Smith wrote it. Wow, I finished this chapter in a couple of hours. Now I'm tired…**

**Yuugi: I'm I gonna to marry Yami?**

**Yami: Is there going to be a wedding night scene?**

**Ranko: You're so horny! And no, I don't do lemons!**

**Yuugi: Why do I feel like this chapter was random pieces of information clumped together?**

**Ranko: Because that's what it was!**

**Yami: Review! If Ranko gets enough she might add a lemon!**

**Ranko: Will you stop spreading lies, Yami? I will do no such thing!**

**Yuugi: (sighs) Please review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Ranko: Oh my, goodness! I can't believe it! I have nearly 100 reviews! I love you guys so much!**

**Yami: Its official…you have no life.**

**Ranko: I already know this…**

**Yuugi: Guys, your getting off topic again. Ranko didn't you have a reason to mention you nearly had a hundred reviews?**

**Ranko: Oh yeah! I didn't want to update until I had at least 90 reviews. And I decided, whoever gives me my first ever hundredth review with have their OC added and they can request for me to write any scene for any pairing, or no pairing at all, in the sequel! Does that give you motivation or what?**

**Yuugi: So you have never reached a hundred reviews before?**

**Ranko: Nope!**

**Yami: Speaking of reviews…**

**Ranko: Oh yeah, I have a few to answer don't I?**

**AnimexXxGoddess: You're so mean to me! You're just like Yami! Anyway, obviously I am old enough to read/write yaoi, be a nerd, complain about high school, play a children's card game, and watch Barbie movies (Yuugi: Did you just contradict yourself?) I know what you mean, after getting into yaoi it's harder to read straight couple books (weird). But I will try and stick as close as possible for you! I think I've done a pretty good job so far. Now to see if your theory is right!**

**hikari no senshi17: Actually, that wasn't the "fun" stuff I was talking about last chapter, they're actually in this chapter =). I know, even though Yami is a jerk, I always feel my heart bleed when I make him angsty. He'll get his happy ending eventually!**

**naomi: Sorry, no lemon, not in this story any way. Look what you've done Yami, you've gotten everyone's hopes up! (Yami: Well you got my hopes up, I thought there was going to be a lemon between Yuugi and I!). Anyway, I think I am going to do a lemon in one of the sequels, so you can look forward to that!**

**Dinogirl: Would you be devastated if I made Yuugi say no? Don't worry; that won't happen! You can look forward to more puzzleshipping and tendershipping and bronzeshipping! I love those pairings…**

**CrimsonStrawberry17: I know, no lemons! I'm sorry! I can't write them but I might have a lemon in one of the sequels! I know, I never expected the sorcerers bit when I read the Forbidden Games. And I was hoping no one would catch that little bit about both of his parents sacrificing themselves to save Yuugi. But I needed both of Yuugi's parents to be dead. Think of it, as their atonement. Thanks for the review. **

**Yuugi: Ranko twin does not own Yu-Gi-Oh or Forbidden Games.**

**Yami: She's not that creative…**

**Ranko: I'm too tired to yell…Enjoy!**

-/-

"Yes."

Anzu gasped. "Yuugi—you've got to be kidding me. For God's sake…"

Yuugi didn't look at her.

Jounouchi made some movement and Seto grasped his elbow and shook his head. Yuugi still didn't look his way.

"Yuugi," Malik said. "It's not worth it. I know you…you keep your promises. You'll be trapped here. No way out. As in—forever. In this eternal nightmare with…with _them_," Malik said, gesturing to the three Shadow Men. "Don't do this for us. Do you really think Ryou would let you do this?"

Yuugi flinched.

Malik shook his head and walked towards Bakura, letting his friend drape a comforting arm around his shoulder.

"Yuugi…" Mai said, confusion and sorrow evident in her voice.

Yuugi turned then. He stared straight into Mai's beautiful lavender colored eyes with a golden tinge; like sunlight shining down on a spring meadow. "Mai…I'm sorry, for everything. But you have to understand that you have been making all my decisions for me all my life; it's time for me to take control of my life. I'm doing this because I want to. But then again you'd never understand. Malik," Yuugi said, turning to look into Malik's eyes. "Please understand."

Malik paused for a moment; something flickered in his eyes and shook his head.

"I don't want to lose you…" he said solemnly.

"You're going to anyway," Yuugi said. "This is easier on all of us. And I want to stay, I really do."

Malik looked past Bakura at Mai who had been staring at Yuugi with hard eyes. Then, her face went blank. Walled off. Without expression.

"You're right," she said, not meeting Yuugi's eyes. "You have to look out for number one." Then Mai looked up and met Yuugi's eyes; she then shrugged and smiled bitterly. "I tried to protect you, but you're a big boy, you can make your own decisions. So do whatever the fuck you want."

Yuugi winced; harsh.

Yuugi breathed in through his nose and sighed out the breath. He looked directly into his cousin's eyes and a silent conversation passed between them.

Yuugi shook his head and turned back to Yami, who took the ring from him.

"It's a short ceremony," he said. "Give me your hand."

Yuugi put his small, delicate hand in Yami's larger one. Yuugi was surprised at how warm and strong the Shadow Man's hand was. It was rough and calloused, like Yami was used to holding a weapon or being in a battle of some kind. Yami gently squeezed Yuugi's hand and marveled at how dainty it was; and it was so soft. He rubbed a rough thumb over Yuugi's smooth knuckles.

"Please, Yuugi—don't…" Anzu pleaded.

Yuugi didn't move.

"Seventeenth-century poesy ring, used to be given as a token of lovers," Yami explained, holding the gold circlet in the dim light. "With the inscription on the inside. It means you refuse all except the one who gives it to you. The words touch your skin and bind you with their power."

Yuugi smiled at him.

Jounouchi moved behind him, taking a step forward only to have Seto squeeze his elbow and pull him back, making him stop.

Yami ignored everyone in the room but Yuugi. "Now, repeat after me and our link will never be broken." With slight formality, Yami quoted the words: "This ring, the symbol of my oath, will hold me to the words I speak: All I refuse and thee I choose."

Yuugi repeated the words and felt Yami slip the cool band of gold around his finger. It became warm when it touched Yuugi's skin, as if it belonged there. Then he looked down at it. It shone with a rich, warm color; like the sun on an autumn day.

"Now if we seal the bargain with a kiss, then we will be bound," Yami said with a small smile on his lips. He looked down at Yuugi, his red eyes warm like the core of a fire. Yami waited, like giving Yuugi a chance to back out. Yuugi felt a strange swelling sensation in his chest at the look in Yami's eyes and the feelings that were radiating off of him.

Yuugi slipped his eyes shut and stood on his tiptoes, leaning his head up, waiting for Yami to meet him half way. Then their lips met for a second time and it was soft. It was so soft…and gentle and smooth. It felt like they were standing there for an eternity, everything else melting away from them.

Yami was the one who broke away first. He leaned his forward against Yuugi's and breathed on his lips that were still tingling from the kiss. "Sworn mine; now and forever."

"No," Bakura said harshly. He unhooked his arm from Malik's shoulder and lunged towards Yami, as if he were going to attack him.

Yami didn't even look up from Yuugi's eyes, the new lovers still lost in the moment.

Marik was suddenly before Bakura. He shot out his arm and wrapped one hand around the boy's muscular neck. He squeezed until black dots obscured Bakura's vision and then threw him at the wall. Bakura's back slammed into it and he bounced off and landed face first on the floor.

Marik crossed his arms over his chest and smirked. "That's what you get for touching Malik," he said snidely.

Malik's eyes widened and ran over to his childhood friend. "Bakura!" He fell to his knees beside the white haired boy's body and put his head on his lap. Luckily he was still breathing and didn't seem to have any external injuries except a few bruises. Malik sighed in relief and played with Bakura's pale bangs.

Yuugi turned away then, breaking his moment with Yami. His eyes widened when he saw Bakura.

"How could you?" Malik growled out, his canine teeth glinting. He glared at Marik, but the man was unfazed. "How could you?" Malik screeched, tears of frustration burning his eyes. "I swear…I'll kill you!"

Marik stared a moment longer and then smirking, shaking his head. "Calm down, Malik-pretty, you wouldn't want to get me angry."

Malik growled. "Try me."

Marik narrowed his eyes at Malik. He looked like he was about to attack the boy before Yami stopped him. "Marik, enough," he said calmly, not even looking away from Yuugi.

Marik snarled but backed off.

Anzu was crying and she was clinging to Honda's arm, not trusting her legs to keep her steady. "Please…please don't go with them. Don't, Yuugi, don't go willingly. Don't give into him," Anzu pleaded.

Jounouchi stood silently the whole time, watching it all with blank eyes. Yuugi felt his heart contract and bleed at the sight.

"I'm sorry, Jou," Yuugi said sincerely.

Yuugi saw his face twist and for a terrible moment, Yuugi thought Jounouchi was going t cry. But then his honey brown eyes hardened and he shrugged indifferently. "I suppose it was going to happen eventually. That's the name of the Game, isn't it?" Jou cast a looked towards Yami and Yuugi wondered what all they talked about during the Game.

Yami gave Jou an odd smile, like sharing a secret that two had. "I keep my promises, too. All of them," he said.

Yuugi stood between Yami and Jounouchi, feeling the tension between the two. Yuugi gently touched Yami's sleeve. Yami broke eye contact with Jounouchi and his red eyes softened when he turned towards Yuugi. His whole demeanor changed, as if he were forgetting everyone else in the room.

"The ceremony's done. We are promised," Yami said, almost in awe.

Yuugi nodded. "I know." The ring added and extra weight on Yuugi's finger, something he wasn't used to; he fiddled with the ring. But he felt free and light "Can you please let the other's go now? I wish you would let Jou leave too—but if not, can you at least make him more comfortable? After a couple of days, you'll realize you won't need a hostage to make me stay."

For the first time ever on Yami's face, Yuugi saw doubt. Yami was always confident and stood tall, like he owned the world. But as he looked down at Yuugi, there was a hint of concern and doubt. "Do you really want to stay here, Yuugi? It's going to be strange for you…"

Yuugi chuckled softly, making Yami worry. "That is the understatement of the century. But yes, I want to stay here with you. I've realized how much of life I am missing and now that I have seen it, I can't go back. I'm not the same person I was when I came here. And as long as you're here to take care of me, I won't mind it one bit," Yuugi said cheerily.

Yami's heart swelled with a love and a passion that he had only ever felt towards Yuugi. "You have changed in less then twelve hours. You've become…"

Yuugi raised a delicate eyebrow. "What?"

Yami smiled and shook his head. "I'll tell you later." Yami turned and waved a hand; Yuugi heard Jounouchi's chains rattle and clank to the floor, Yuugi saw him stand up, rubbing feeling back into his hands. "You may all go," Yami said. Yami snapped his fingers and the two other Shadow Men stepped reluctantly away from the door, not wanting their prey to leave.

The door home stood open, unguarded. From the angle Yuugi was standing at, he could see the rune Uruz inscribed into the wood.

Through the door, he could see a midnight blue. Yuugi glanced towards the clock, which was ticking away. 5: 50 A.M.

Dawn was coming fast.

"Go on," Yami said, eager to get rid of them.

Malik wrapped one of Bakura's arms around his shoulder and his own arm around the white haired boy's waist. He hefted the boy up to stand on his feet and supported him from falling; Bakura was groggily awaking. "Not without Yuugi," Malik gasped out, the strain of holding Bakura's weight on his own too much; Honda came over and got on Bakura's other side to help.

Yami scoffed. "Alright fine; go, stay, do whatever you want. You can wonder around the house for all I care. I'll leave it for you to argue about. But remember, that door closes at dawn. Six-eleven sharp. And once it does, there is no other way out. You'll be here for good. And I can easily throw you outside to wonder the Shadow Realm or hand you over to my friends," Yami said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at Akefia and Marik.

Marik flashed an evil smile at Malik, making the smaller boy gulp.

Yami then turned to Yuugi. "This place is too crowded."

Yuugi nodded in agreement. "I know. There is a couch downstairs. We can sit on it and get to know each other."

They went back downstairs to Yuugi's parents' basement. The sofa in the basement was shabby and old, but wide and soft. It sank under both the boys' weight. Yuugi found it odd to be sitting beside Yami like this. With no cruelty or snide remarks; with no reason to pull away. No battles to fight. It felt nice.

It was a private place. Yuugi knew his friends wouldn't come down here, or even look in before they left this horrid place. Yami's warning was sufficient. They all knew what he could do.

Then Yuugi remembered Ryou. He remembered his complete fear when he talked about Akefia. He remembered how Yami had caused Ryou's death. And then he imagined Marik doing something to Malik. What if he made the boy stay with him forever like Yami and Yuugi? What if Marik…?

Yuugi didn't even want to think of all the horrible things Marik could do to Malik.

Yuugi looked at Yami then. He was so close to him. Yuugi could see all the different shades of red in his eyes.

They were so deep, and gentle.

Yuugi could feel Yami's hunger.

And he could feel himself trembling. His nerves were buzzing with excitement. The blood in his veins tingled. But Yami didn't even touch him. He just looked at the smaller boy, with an expression Yuugi had never seen on his face before. A look on wonder; they were so tender.

"Are you frightened?" he whispered.

Yuugi gulped. "A little." Yuugi was trying not to show it. "So, you're one of the youngest Shadow Men?"

Yami smirked. "And the nicest."

"I believe that," Yuugi said honestly.

Then he did touch him; featherlike touches through his hair. Yuugi froze as Yami continued to run his fingers through his silky strands. Yuugi shut his eyes and told himself not to think about it. His chest warmed as he thought of how careful Yami was being. This feeling frightened Yuugi; it was a feeling he didn't understand.

Yuugi was surprised when it stopped. He opened his eyes and was even more surprised by the look of anger on Yami's face. And for an instant, Yuugi was truly frightened at the look and the reality of the choice he made finally came home. But then he realized he was not angry at him, he was angry for him.

"You're so innocent," Yami said. "That stupid friend of yours—Jounouchi—he has only ever caused you pain. He never thought about you; only himself. And he screwed up his chance."

Yuugi idly wondered what Yami meant, but then he realized something… "You're jealous," Yuugi said. "You're jealous of Jounouchi." It was more of a statement than a question. Yuugi had to resist from laughing; he and Jounouchi were nothing more than friends.

Yami shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. You're here with me and no one will ever hurt you again. I'll keep you safe…"

The look in Yami's eyes drew Yuugi closer to the Shadow Man until they were only an inch apart. Yuugi closed the difference and lightly pressed his lips against Yami's, his eyelids fluttering closed. Yami forgot about talking and kissed Yuugi back gently.

The soft, gentle kisses soon turned into slow and languid kisses, which soon became hot and fast kisses. Yuugi gasped when he felt Yami's tongue trail along his bottom lip; Yami took advantage of this and forced his tongue into Yuugi's hot mouth, exploring every crevice and curve.

Yuugi moaned and threaded his fingers through Yami's hair. Yami gently pushed Yuugi onto his back and got on top of the small boy. Yami ran his hands up and down Yuugi's clothed chest, making the teen shiver in delight.

Yami broke away and Yuugi whined in disappointment, only for it to be turned into a moan of pleasure as Yami kissed and nipped and sucked on Yuugi's neck. Yuugi moved his hands from Yami's hair to his broad shoulders, feeling like he was about to fall into space.

Yami pulled away from Yuugi's neck and saw a purple bruise on his pale neck where he had been kissing. He gently kissed the darker flesh and whispered, "Mine."

Upstairs, the clock struck six.

Yuugi squirmed and pushed against Yami's shoulders reluctantly. "I have to breathe," the small boy said. "This is all happening so fast." Yami nodded in understanding and got off of Yuugi. Yuugi sighed and slipped off the couch as he wondered around the familiar basement once more.

Yami smiled as he watched Yuugi walk around, trying to get his breath back, his flushed cheeks cooling down. Yuugi couldn't look at him right now; he needed to regain his composure. Yuugi fingered a protection charm on a nearby shelf, not paying close attention to what it really was.

"Why did you let me through my nightmare?" Yuugi suddenly asked. "Sentimental reasons?"

Yami laughed. "Not at all. I did play the Game fairly. I don't lie, even if I sometimes…" Yami thought for a moment. "Withhold information. You couldn't see it, but the door to your nightmare opened as soon as you remembered opening the closet door. Your nightmare was remembering what happened that day."

Yuugi nodded in understanding. "Oh," he said. "The closet…what did they want from you? My parents?"

Yami shrugged. "I can only guess that they wanted what so many other people had wanted. Power, knowledge—the easy way. A free ride." With each statement, Yami's eyes darkened.

"And runes really work?" Yuugi asked, trying to change the subject.

"A lot of things work and a lot of things don't. People can't tell which are which until they try them—and they're usually surprised."

Yuugi went over to the closet and looked inside. Yami followed close behind him. "I'm sorry," Yuugi said quietly, without turning to look at him. "I'm sorry they did that to you. They weren't bad people, at least…I don't think they were. I don't remember them that well."

Yami put a hand on Yuugi's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

Yuugi shook his head and stepped into the closet. "Not as small as it looks," he said jokingly.

Yami stepped in after him and made a face as he looked around. "Small enough; this place brings back bad memories."

Yuugi nearly cried at the look on Yami's face. He shook those feelings away and leaned against the opposite wall, giving Yami a "come hither" look. "How about we make better memories?"

Yami smirked and placed both of his hands on either side of Yuugi's head, trapping him there. Without saying anything, he lowered his head and pressed his lips firmly against Yuugi's. He immediately pried Yuugi's mouth open and played with the smaller boy's tongue. Yuugi tried to hold back a moan, but then Yami started to rub his thigh and lifted his leg around Yami's waist. Their hips made contact and Yuugi felt fire pool in his belly.

Yami groaned and pleasant shivers shot up Yuugi's spine. Yuugi wished this moment would last forever; he wished he could stay here with Yami, to be loved and cherished. But he knew he couldn't. Yuugi had to break the kiss. Just one more minute…

Yami was the one who pulled away first.

"It's rather uncomfortable in here," Yami commented breathlessly, his cheeks flushed and his eyes glazed over with lust.

"It is, isn't is?" Yuugi said, smiling up at Yami.

"Definitely."

"Well then, I suppose we could—"

'Now,' Yuugi thought.

In the middle of his sentence, he moved. Yuugi unhooked his left leg from Yami's waist and kicked out with his right, the momentum vaulting him out of the closet. The same moment, Yuugi slammed shut the door. Before the door closed, Yuugi saw Yami's eyes widen and then his red eyes darkened with anger. "Yuugi!" he roared, launching towards the door before it closed.

Yuugi leaned his weight against the door; he could feel the door shake as Yami slammed against it, trying to get out.

"Nauthiz!" he cried, slashing an _X_ in the air.

As he shouted it, the rune flashed brightly on the closet door; it was the color of blue-white ice.

Yuugi didn't know if he did it or not, but there was no more shaking as Yami slammed against the door. There was no sound coming from inside.

Yami didn't come leaping out at him.

The closet door remained closed and still.

The silence was deafening.

Without a glance back, Yuugi turned and ran up the stairs.

Yuugi knew this is what he had to do. He was never going to stay with Yami from the start. This was his plan from the beginning, the moment he promised himself to Yami. At least, that is what Yuugi was trying to convince himself of.

When Yuugi reached the turret again, his friends were still there, the door hanging wide open. And so were Akefia and Marik; they both wore pained expressions, like someone had just punched them in the chest. When Yuugi came into the room, they both turned and their eyes widened.

"You…" Akefia growled. "What have you done?" He lunged forward, as if he were going to attack Yuugi, but he just ran right past him and down the stairs to the basement. Yuugi followed Akefia with his eyes until he disappeared. When Yuugi turned back around, Marik had Malik in a chokehold, holding a dagger dangerously close to the boy's face.

Malik's face was starting to turn a surprising shade red and he was making strange gasping noises that sounded like, "G-go…Yuu-Yuugi…leave m-me…"

"Malik!" Yuugi cried. "Let him go!"

"I don't think so," Marik said. "All of you have overstayed your welcome. I think you need to leave. And you," Marik said, turning to Yuugi. "You little trouble maker, you are going to release Yami and stay here like you promised, it's either that or you get sacrificed to the Shadow Realm."

"Go…leave…" Malik choked out.

"Clock is ticking, Yuugi," Marik said.

Yuugi hesitated a moment more and then…

With all his strength, Malik kicked Marik in the crotch, making the man loosen his grip enough for Malik to free himself. He grabbed the knife and stuck it in the man's shoulder. He kneed him in the gut and slapped his palms over his ears, making his ear drum burst.

Malik looked over his shoulder and smiled at Yuugi. "I knew you would come back. Now, come on!"

Malik and Yuugi stayed behind until all of their friends had gone through the door.

Jounouchi stopped and asked, "Where's Yami?"

"In the closet," Yuugi said quickly, shoving his friend through the open door.

Yuugi grasped Mai's elbow. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean anything that I said."

Mai smiled tenderly. "I know, sweetheart." Mai then jumped through the door like a skydiver.

"Yuugi, you go first," Malik said, placing a firm hand on Yuugi's back.

"But Malik…" Yuugi started; he was half way through the door when they heard a voice behind them that made their blood freeze.

"I'm not letting you get away that easily, Malik-pretty," Marik growled low in his throat.

Yuugi grabbed Malik's hand and started to pull him through the door as Marik lunged forward and slashed at Malik with the knife. He got Malik's shoulder, leaving a long, clean cut that was oozing blood through his already ruined shirt. Before the door closed, they heard Marik yell, "I will find you!"

They both fell together, hand in hand. The sun was just beginning to rise. And the fiery orange color looked exactly like Yami's eyes when he was happy.

"_But when you're happy, they're such a light, cheery amethyst color."_

"_How would you know? You've never seen me happy before."_

-/-

**Ranko: This is not the end! Next chapter will be the final one and then I will be working on the sequel! **

**Yuugi: I should probably get Yami now. Hey, Yami! You can come out of the closet now!**

**Yami: I find that very offensive!**

**Ranko: In some way, this chapter is dedicated to hikari no senshi17, because she wanted a lemon scene for Yami and Yuugi, and also I promised "fun" things. I hope I didn't disappoint. I will try and work on writing those scenes to be better!**

**Yuugi: As always, please review!**

**Yami: Let's help Ranko achieve her goal!**

**Ranko: See you next, and last, chapter!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Ranko: OMG! Over 100 reviews! Thanks so much guys! I love you all and I know I couldn't have reached 100 reviews without all of you! And a special thanks so both of my 100th reviewers!**

**Yami: How can you have two hundredth reviewers?**

**Ranko: I think they reviewed at the same time. I'm not completely sure, but I want to be fair to both of them and give them both the reward since I'm not sure who reviewed first.**

**Yuugi: So let's answers some reviews already!**

**Ranko: Let's see… (looks at list)**

**raindropdew: Yuugi is amazing in general! Thanks for the review!**

**BakurasGirl123: Neither can I!**

**AnimexXxGoddess: Thank you, I try my best! Yes, you are like Yami, except, not an ass like he is (Yami: Hey!). I wish I knew where I could find Yu-Gi-Oh subbed! I have been looking for I don't know how long. Unfortunately, I don't know where to find the subbed version either but I will keep my eye open for you!**

**hikari no senshi17: Everyone is so surprised that Yuugi tricked Yami! But what people don't realize is that Yuugi is a little devil in disguise! His thorns hold up his halo! I can't wait to write Yami in the sequel, he will be SO pissy! It'll be so much fun!**

**naomi: Yami is a big boy, I'm sure he'll get over it! But anyway, thanks for being one of my hundredth reviewers! PM me later for more details! Thanks for the constant support and reviews!**

**Inspiration's Wonderer: I've already talked to you! ;) But yes, I hope the last chapter is also AMAZING!**

**Dinogirl: I serve to please! I wish Yuugi stayed and I had just ended it there, but if I had there wouldn't be an awesome story brewing! Yuugi does love Yami, he's just too stubborn to admit it.**

**PhantomChaosMagician: Yami will have his "revenge" eventually (in the sequel). Here is the last chapter for you!**

**Yami: So, this is the last chapter?**

**Ranko: It doesn't feel like the end…**

**Yuugi: Well, we do have a sequel!**

**Yami: For the last time, Ranko twin doesn't own anything! I am so tired of saying that!**

**Yami, Yuugi, Ranko: Enjoy!**

-/-

Yuugi woke up groggily on the soft carpet of his living room floor. It took him a moment to register that he was lying down and when his vision cleared he saw his grandfather's living room.

Yuugi sat up too fast and nearly fainted. Everything spun around him for a moment and he felt like his head was being spun around like a spinning top.

The first thing he saw was the Game. It sat innocently in the center of his coffee table. The box lid sat on the floor beside the table; the rune of Uruz had lost its shine and was no a rusty bronze.

The Victorian style doll house was just the way it was when they had made it: tall and perfect; its printed colors glowing in the dull light of the living room. The only difference was that the slips of paper they had drawn their nightmares on were no longer in the house and their paper dolls were gone.

It looked so harmless, no one would ever believe what horrors lay waiting behind every corner in that house.

"Maybe it was all a dream," Honda said hoarsely.

Yuugi jumped in surprise and turned around to see that everyone was waking up.

"It wasn't a dream," Bakura said, standing up and going over to sit on a leather footstool. He rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his temples tiredly. "Ryou's gone."

Yuugi looked at Jounouchi.

He was sitting up slowly, using the table for support. Seto and Yuugi reached the blond at the same time and helped him up. Jounouchi grunted out a "thank you". He had definitely changed. He looked so broken, his body bruised and sore. He lost that air about him that screamed confidence and control. There was a new look in his warm eyes, a sadness yet gratefulness. Yuugi didn't know the word for it.

Maybe…humility?

"Jou," Yuugi said, worried.

Seto looked between the two friends and realized they needed a moment and left.

Jounouchi tried to flash his trademark grin, but it was different somehow, there wasn't that usual silliness. His teeth didn't flash and the corners of his mouth didn't stretch so wide Yuugi thought that his face may split in half. It was much more solemn. "I thought that you were really going to stay with that jerk. To save me…and because you wanted to. And the sad part is, I wouldn't have blamed you, not after he gave you that ring."

Yuugi's eyes widened and quickly looked down at his finger. And any hope of that night being a dream had vanished. Resting on his finger was a simple gold band, glittering and shining in the light of the apartment.

"I _definitely _thought you were going to stay with him," Anzu piped in from the other side of the room. "You honestly had me convinced and it was all a trick? Maybe you should join the drama club when we get back to school."

"_I _knew," Malik and Mai bragged simultaneously. The two exchanged surprised looks and shrugged.

Yuugi giggled. "Of course you two would know, you're too smart for your own good."

Honda snorted. "And here I thought Yuugi was an innocent angel, who would've thought that he was capable of scheming? I mean…you're so simple, and honest…"

"And I am," Yuugi reassured. "But only when people treat me and my friends fairly. If they cheat, then the gloves are off."

"And you really never felt anything for Yami? It was an act from the beginning?" Anzu persisted.

"Who cares?" Honda said, saving Yuugi from answering that dreaded question. "We're home, that's all that matters." He stretched his arms over his head and shouted a small exclamation of victory.

"What about the betrothal?" Malik asked. "The ring? You're supposed to be promised to him now."

Yuugi raised an eyebrow and in one single motion, crushed the paper house, smashing it flat and then flatter. Bakura's head snapped up as they all watched Yuugi stuff it in the game box, filling it like an overstuffed suitcase, pushing it in where it wouldn't fit. He picked up the game cards and threw them in the game box as well, a few fluttering away; Yuugi picked those up and jammed those in too.

Then he slipped the ring off his finger. It came off easier than Yuugi thought it would. It didn't stick to his finger or anything. He didn't dare look at the inscription. He dropped the ring on top of it all.

Then he put the paper dolls of Marik and Akefia in the mix. And then he picked up Yami. The doll still looked so lifelike, like he would start moving at any moment. At the beginning of the game, the doll looked so arrogant and prideful, with a mischievous glint in his red eyes. But now, the doll's eyes almost looked sad. Yuugi blinked and rubbed his eyes; no, it was just a doll, it didn't show Yami's real emotion. Yuugi hesitated a moment more before gently putting Yami in the box.

Yuugi won the Game; he beat the Shadow Men at their own game. Yami was locked up in the closet in his parents' basement where no one could find him, locked under the rune Uruz. Marik and Akefia were still in the house, unable to get out. So why did Yuugi have this weird feeling in his chest?

Why did he feel regret even after all the pain the Shadow Men, especially Yami, had caused them?

Yuugi squished down those feeling and crammed the lid over the game box.

He found a roll of masking tape in one of the drawers and wound the tape round and round the bulging game box, sealing it shut. The others all watched in silence.

When he ran out of tape, he set the box back on the coffee table and sat back on his heels. A smile started somewhere in the group and started going around until everyone was smiling. It wasn't a partying smile, it was a smile of relief and joy. They had made it. They were alive. Well…most of them.

"What are we going to say about Ryou?" Jounouchi asked.

"We're going to tell the truth," Yuugi said easily.

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, because you know the police will believe a couple of teenagers spouting nonsense about getting sucked into a Shadow Game that killed one of their friends. Tell me how that goes, will you?"

"You have a better idea?" Yuugi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It'll be alright," Mai said, holding up her hands in a calming gesture. "After all we've been through, we can deal with it. As long as we're all together."

"We are," Yuugi said, and Jounouchi nodded.

Everyone seemed to have been changed by the Game, some for the better and others for the worse. They were all touched by the Shadow Men, but at least it was over now.

Bakura suddenly stood up and walked over to Malik. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up. You look like you got in a fight with a semi truck and lost."

Malik stuck his tongue out at his long time friend. "Bite me." They both walked off to the bathroom to dress Malik's wounds.

Mai whipped out her cellphone and announced, "I'll call the police." She then walked off towards the kitchen as she dialed the number.

Jounouchi put a hand on Yuugi's shoulder. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked.

Yuugi nodded and followed Jounouchi to one corner of the living room. He saw Seto watching them and felt his heart bleed for the young man. He truly loved Jounouchi.

"What do you need, Jou?" Yuugi asked once they were out of hearing range of all their friends.

"I wanted to show you this," the blond said, pulling a glossy sheet of rectangular paper out of his back pocket. On it were a few poorly drawn stick figures that were supposed to represent Jounouchi's father and the gang he left. There was another stick figure that was unrecognizable to Yuugi; it had spiky hair and purple lines on its head for eyes.

Jounouchi blushed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I'm a rotten artist. I thought you would be able to tell by the purple eyes and spiky hair."

Yuugi raised an eyebrow and smiled at his friend. "I'm your worst nightmare?" he asked teasingly.

Jounouchi blushed ever harder and shook his head frantically. "No. It was hard to draw, but it was what I meant when I told Yami I guess it had to happen. The name of the Game was to face your worst nightmare, and that was mine. Losing you."

Yuugi blushed a pretty shade of pink; the way Jounouchi said those words…

"I'm not good at saying stuff like this. Maybe I'm not even that good at showing it. But…" Jounouchi gulped. "I love you, Yuugi. As much as Yami does, maybe even more. I've loved you for a really long time. You're special to me, Yuugi."

Yuugi felt his heart flutter and all the heat rushed to his face. "Jounouchi…I love you too." Jounouchi's heart swelled with joy and his face lit up. "But not the way you love me." The blond immediately deflated. "I'm sorry."

Jounouchi shook his head and smiled at Yuugi, his honey brown eyes glistening with tears. "No, its fine Yuugi, I'm just happy to get that off my chest. I've always wanted you to know and now I feel like this big weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

Yuugi put a hand to his heart, feeling it break at his words. He hated rejecting his best friend but he only loved Jounouchi as an older brother. Then he remembered something and the smaller boy smiled devilishly. "I will always love you, Jounouchi, but only as a brother. But I know someone who is willing to love you the way you want with all his heart."

Jounouchi raised his eyebrows but then his eyes widened when Yuugi looked over his shoulder to look at Seto. The tall boy was shaking his head as Honda tried to get Anzu to kiss him, resulting in the spiky haired brunet to get a slap in the face from Anzu.

"Yuugi?" Jounouchi asked, wondering if his little friend was pulling his leg or not.

"He loves you, Jounouchi, so much. Please, give him a chance," Yuugi said, his amethyst eyes sparkling.

Before Jounouchi could say anything, there was a loud crash as the window in the living room was smashed open. Everyone rushed into the room and came in soon enough to see two figures going down the fire escape attached to the game shop.

The game box on the coffee table wasn't there anymore.

Jounouchi and Mai ran outside and clanked down the rusty stairs of the fire escape. Yuugi stood by the broken window and could see that there was no chance that the two would catch the thieves. The two figures were already long gone. Mai and Jounouchi slowly came back and Mai shook her head.

"They just disappeared," she said in disgust.

"They were flying," Jounouchi huffed, trying to regain his breath.

"Neither of you are in the best shape either," Yuugi said. "It doesn't matter. I didn't really want to give the Game to the police anyway. It probably won't work for anyone else."

"But who were they? Shadow Men?" Bakura asked, as he and Malik came back into the living room.

"Shadow Men in sneakers?" Seto asked, pointing out a pair of muddy footprints on the window sill.

"But what would they want?" Malik asked, thinking out loud.

Yuugi tuned him out. He was looking at the broken glass and trying not to think. Even from behind, the two intruders had looked familiar.

But surely what he said was true. The Game had been meant for him. It had been made to keep him locked up in the Shadow Realm; it shouldn't work for anyone else. Besides, it was destroyed now, it was in no shape to play. And even if it did work, what were their chances of making it to the third floor, to his parents' basement? And if they did make it to the basement, there was no way for them to open the closet door.

"Good riddance to it," Malik spit out.

Everyone laughed as the early morning light flooded in through the broken window.

_Meanwhile ~_

In a vacant lot, the two boys who had been following Yuugi the following day looked behind them for pursuers.

"I think we lost them," one of them said.

"They weren't even trying," the other laughed.

They looked at each other in a mixture of triumph and fear.

They didn't know what the box was, despite a night of watching Yuugi's house. It hadn't been until dawn that they'd worked up the courage to break in. They figured that even if they didn't beat up Yuugi, they hoped that breaking into his house was just as good to get them in Ushio's gang. And there the game box sat on the coffee table, waiting for them.

They could tell that this was a powerful thing that they were sure would please Ushio. The large teen loved power and this box radiated power. But before they made fools of themselves, they had to make sure the insides were worth giving to Ushio.

One of the boys pulled a pocket knife out of his pocket.

He flicked out the knife and slit the tape.

-/-

**Ranko: And that's the end, folks! It sure has been a ride! Thanks for the constant support and look out for the sequel: Ready or Not, Here I Come. I think that's what it's going to be called.**

**Yuugi: It may be a while, because Ranko wants to update on some of her Ranma ½ stories.**

**Yami: Also, if there are any artists out there that are reading this story. Ranko wants to see if anyone will make art for this story; maybe a cover page or something. PM Ranko twin for details if you are interested.**

**Ranko: Thanks again for all the support for this story. And as always, review.**

**Yami, Yuugi, Ranko: See you in the sequel! **


	16. Alternate Ending

**Ranko: How many of you thought that this would be an alert telling you that the sequel was up?**

**Yuugi: We're still working on it, it should be out soon (hopefully).**

**Yami: This is for Vann-Chan (or Sozan-Uzumaki919 on deviantart) who is being so nice and drawing us a cover page for the Shadow Game, so for her we are going to write an alternate ending to the Shadow Game. **

**Ranko: She is so awesome for doing this for us and I hope that you guys enjoy!**

**Yuugi: Ranko twin does not own anything related to Yu-Gi-Oh or the Forbidden Game books.**

-/-

"Malik, go!" Yuugi yelled. He grabbed his friend's hand as Marik lunged forward. Yuugi thought fast. He was half way through the door-way; he stepped over the threshold and shoved Malik through the open doorway.

Not a second later did the door slam shut. The only problem was that Yuugi was on the wrong side of the door.

Time stood still for a moment, Yuugi stared at the closed door in complete horror, even Marik was strangely shocked at what just happened.

Marik recovered first and gripped Yuugi's shoulder and started to pull him away.

"No!" Yuugi cried; he held onto the doorknob for dear life and frantically started to twist and turn it, but the door wouldn't budge. Marik struggled; the shrimp was stronger than he looked. He wrapped both his arms around Yuugi's shoulders and finally pried Yuugi from the door.

He lifted the small boy off the ground, who was kicking his legs frantically and screaming. Marik swung Yuugi over his shoulders and Yuugi started pounding on his back. "No, please! Don't make me go! No!" Yuugi started to wail and tears gushed out of his eyes.

"Shut up!" Marik shouted over Yuugi. "You sure have caused us a lot of trouble, haven't you? I don't understand what Yami sees in you, you little brat. But he is my superior so I have to follow his orders. But its time for you to clean up the mess you made, and you'll start by setting Yami free."

Yuugi bit his bottom lip to stifle his whimper. What would Yami do to him when he was released? Would he kill him? Would he sacrifice Yuugi to the Shadow Realm? Would he torture him so much that he wished he were dead? Yuugi grew more depressed with every possibility that passed his brain.

Marik carried Yuugi down to the basement without much more struggle. They found Akefia standing in front of the closet door, pacing back and forth, chewing on his finger nails. He didn't even notice when he bit the skin of his finger with his fangs and blood started to trickle down his hand.

He finally stopped pacing when he noticed Marik and Yuugi. He glared at the smaller boy thrown over Marik's shoulder. Akefia looked like he was about to attack Yuugi but a look from the other Shadow Man stopped him.

Marik set Yuugi back down on his feet and placed a firm hand around his neck to keep him from running off. "How long do you think he's been in there," Marik asked.

Akefia's eyes softened as he stared at the closet door. "Probably half a week, give or take a few days."

"Wh-What?" Yuugi stuttered.

Marik tightened his hand around Yuugi's neck as a warning. "Shut up; time runs faster here in the Shadow Realm, but where Yami is sealed away, the heart of our world, there is no time. To him, it must feel like he's been in there for an eternity."

Yuugi lowered his head in shame. He suddenly remembered that look on Yami's face when he leaded him into the closet earlier. He had said there were bad memories taking place in this closet.

Akefia stalked over to Yuugi and took him by the shoulder. He dragged him over to stand in front of the closet and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Release Yami now or face an eternity with the Shadows."

Yuugi gulped; he didn't know how to release Yami. When he was younger, all he had to do was twist the doorknob and open it. Would that work? Were other Shadow Men not supposed to touch this door? Yuugi's eyes flickered to Akefia who was still close to him and had a firm hand on his shoulder.

Worth a shot.

Yuugi grabbed the doorknob; he paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Akefia squeezed on his shoulder and with that, Yuugi twisted and flung open the door. Instead of what one would find in a regular coat closet, Yuugi saw the icy wasteland he saw the other time he opened this door.

A silhouette came from the storm. It was getting bigger and bigger until it was standing in the threshold of the door. And there Yami stood. He was dressed exactly as he had seen him before Yuugi had trapped him, except different. He looked more tired and drained; ice and snow was clinging to his exposed skin. His eyes held no emotion in them; they were so blank and lifeless. He took one shaky step forward and then collapsed.

Akefia caught him just in time before he hit the floor. Yami's eyes slipped closed and he fell into unconsciousness. He started to mumble incoherent words under his breath.

"Yami!" Akefia cried. He quickly picked up the Shadow Man and laid his down on the couch. He immediately whipped around and picked Yuugi up by the collar of his shirt. He brought the boy close to his face until their noses were touching. "You little bastard! You did this to him! You better fix this mess you made right now or I swear I'll—!"

"Put him down Akefia," a weak voice spoke out from behind them.

All three heads turned at once to stare down at Yami who was slowly regaining consciousness. He struggled to rise to his elbows and he squinted his eyes open; the dull lighting in the room was too bright.

"Yami!" Akefia cried, still holding Yuugi by his collar.

"Akefia, put him down," Yami said again, more strongly this time. He managed to sit up on the couch but he seemed out of breath almost.

Akefia looked down at Yuugi's terrified face; he scowled and dropped the boy. Yuugi fell to the ground with a small yelp and landed on his backside. He groaned and tenderly rubbed his tailbone as Akefia rushed over to Yami.

"Are you okay? How long have you been in there? Do you need anything?" Akefia fretted. He tried to check Yami's body for wounds but he swatted Akefia's hands away.

"I'm fine Akefia," Yami said, irritation creeping into his voice. His eyes went to Yuugi who had yet to pick himself up from the floor. "Leave us," he directed towards the two other Shadow Men in the room. "Yuugi will take care of me."

"But Yami—" Marik protested; this is the first time he had spoken since Yami had come back.

"Leave us!" Yami roared, his red eyes glowing with anger.

Marik and Akefia almost jumped in surprise. Almost. But they were all too familiar to Yami's sudden bursts of anger. The two had grown up with him after all. All of them have been through everything together. Akefia and Marik were there when Yami saw Yuugi for the first time. They encouraged him to pursue the human boy even though it was against their laws. What a mistake that turned out to be.

Akefia and Marik reluctantly left the room, leaving Yuugi all alone with Yami. Yuugi shook like a leaf, terror taking over his body and mind. Yami's anger slowly simmered down and he started to take off his shirt.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Yuugi stuttered out, a blush spreading from his neck to his cheeks.

Yami narrowed his eyes at the boy and then threw his leather shirt in the corner. "How else do you expect to heal me if you are not able to see my wounds? There should be medicinal herbs and bandages on the first bookcase."

Yuugi would wonder later why his parents kept medical supplies on a bookcase. The boy noticed burn marks that infested Yami's skin like it was some kind of disease. Ugly red blotches were covering his once smooth and flawless skin. Large cuts crossed over his back and chest like he was whipped. Yuugi had to resist the urge to cry. He had caused Yami that pain.

"What's taking you so long?" Yami asked.

Yuugi was snapped out of his thoughts and he quickly snatched up the bandages and a strange green paste that he could only guess was the medicine.

He sat in front of Yami and slowly started to rub the green paste of all of Yami's wounds. He made slow, smoothing circles with his fingers. Once there was a sufficient amount over cuts and burns, Yuugi started to wrap the bandages around Yami's torso. Yuugi had to hug the older boy to be able to do this and this brought Yuugi's face close to Yami's broad, warm chest every time he wrapped the bandages around.

Suddenly Yami spoke while Yuugi was leaning his head on Yami's chest; the vibrations sent a pleasant shiver up Yuugi's spine.

"You have no idea how happy I am that you stayed, Yuugi."

Yuugi felt all the heat rush to his face; he didn't say a word, but Yami didn't mind, he just kept talking.

"I thought you would leave me forever and I would never see you again." Yami suddenly caught Yuugi in a tight embrace, as if the boy would disappear if he didn't hold him tight enough. "I would fall apart if that happened. The pain experienced in that wretched place would be nothing compared to losing you."

Yuugi felt his heart stop and then beat so fast he vaguely wondered if Yami heard it. "Yami…" he breathed out.

"You don't understand do you?" he asked, ignoring Yuugi. "How much I love you? I always say it but you don't seem to hear it. I've watched you Yuugi, for the longest time. I love everything about you. Your laugh, your smile, your tears, your anger, your spark, and I love your eyes. Those moments when you thought you were alone and you had no one you could trust, I was there, wrapping my arms around you, like this." Yami tightened his arms around Yuugi to emphasize his point.

Yuugi should have felt disgusted towards Yami; he had watched him and stalked him his whole life. He should feel violated, but he didn't. He felt extremely loved and he felt, what was this, love? He felt a slight loving feeling towards Yami as well.

He suddenly burst out into tears and he buried his face deep into Yami's broad chest. Yami ran his hand soothingly through Yuugi's hair and whispered sweet nothings into his ear. "Its okay, my love."

Yuugi shook his head. "No, it's not alright. I've hurt you so much, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he sobbed.

Yami took Yuugi by the shoulders and pushed him back to look into his watery, teary eyes. "I could never hate you for that, my love; no matter what you do, I will always love you."

This caused Yuugi's tears to rush out faster. "How can you say that so easily?" he cried. "When I've used you and hurt you and caused you so much pain."

Yami took Yuugi's hand and kissed the ring he had given him. "When I was in that place, after you had tricked me and trapped me in there, I could only think about you. Yes, I was angry and I felt betrayed, but I still couldn't help but love you. I don't understand it myself; I don't understand how I can still love you after everything you've done, but I do. It used to scare me, but now, I accept it and I love every second I feel this way."

Yuugi blinked his tears away and a few stray tears ran down his cheeks. Yami kissed them away and held Yuugi close again.

"Please," Yami whispered desperately. "Please don't leave me, stay here with me."

"B-but my friends and my family…they'll miss me," Yuugi argued weakly.

"We both know that you won't be happy if you go back, you can stay here and be happy with me. Just think of it Yuugi, I can give you everything you've ever dreamed for and more. Please stay with me."

"Yami, I…" Yuugi whispered, he pushed Yami away and rose to his feet. "I can't."

Yami scowled. "I don't think you have much choice."

"What?" Yuugi asked, turning around to face Yami.

"There is no way to get back to your world, your stuck here with me Yuugi, whether you like it or not," Yami said with an evil smirk on his face.

Yuugi's blood ran cold and he wrapped his arms around his body to keep warm. Yami got up and wrapped his own arms around Yuugi. "Together forever, my love; you and me."

Yuugi shivered when he felt Yami's hand creep lower down his back.

"Now…where were we before you rudely trapped your husband in the closet?" Yami asked.

-/-

**Ranko: And that is it people! Still no lemon, unfortunately, sorry. Anyway, how many of you would have wanted the original Shadow Game like that? Show of hands? **

**Yuugi: We hope we didn't disappoint, it's actually a lot harder than it we thought it would be. Kudos to Wordsorceress who wrote a five chapter alternate ending.**

**Yami: The only reason Ranko twin didn't write that much is because she is lazy and impatient.**

**Ranko: Bite me! Anyway, I hope you liked it Vann-Chan! And you can find a link to the amazing cover page on my profile, it should be at the very top (coming soon)!**

**Yuugi: As always, review!**

**Yami: We'll see you in the sequel!**

**Ranko: You guys are stealing all my lines! Also, make sure to check out my new Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic: RENT!**


	17. ALERT!

Ranko: Hey guys! Guess what? This time its actually an alert! I just posted the sequel to The Shadow Game titled: Ready or Not, Here I Come. It's up and ready for you do read.

Yami: Enough babbling, don't you have another announcement to make?

Ranko: Oh yeah!

Yuugi: The cover page for The Shadow Game is complete! It looks amazing you guys! The link is on Ranko twin's profile, at the very top! Please make sure to comment on it!

Ranko: So that's all! And happy reading!


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